HTTYD Requested One-Shots
by FanWriter02
Summary: Short stories and one-shots that have been requested! All are and must be rated K or T. I only ship Hiccstrid. If you have a request, you can post it in the reviews. Hiccstrid. Hiccup!Whump. No swearing. One-shots. All time-lines in the HTTYD series.
1. A Dragon's Match

**Title: A Dragon's Match**

 **Summary: Toothless and Stormfly think it's about time that Hiccup and Astrid share a kiss and make some confessions. Why does human love seem so complicated? XD**

 **Requested by: brodmapa**

 **AN/ Hello everybody! Special thanks to brodmapa for requesting this! I seem to have a hard time coming up with fresh ideas lately. XD. My latest story (Not a Dream) didn't get as much feedback on it as I would've liked… so I'm so happy you guys want these. My ideas are running dry! :D Thanks again and as usual… bananas! Haha got you. ;)**

 **Enjoy! :D**

Toothless yawned loudly, lifting his large head off the stone bed he slept on. He glanced over at Hiccup, who was still sleeping soundly. Toothless sighed, realizing that it was _probably_ pretty early still… or at least in a human's eyes it was. To Toothless, it seemed like time to get up and start the day.

Toothless set his head back down, sighing as he watched Hiccup sleep. Hiccup's thick bangs were flopped over his eyes, making Toothless's nose twitch at the thought. How irritating hair must be for humans. Toothless felt especially sorry for Hiccup's father, Stoick. That poor guy not only had long hair on the top of his head, but a long beard to deal with as well. With the amount of fussing Stoick did braiding his hair and all… Toothless was definitely grateful he didn't have to deal with that.

Hiccup mumbled something in his sleep, flopping over on to his back, flinging his blanket off him in the process. Toothless's eyes followed the blanket as it fell to the ground. Then, Toothless's eyes returned to Hiccup, who was sprawled out on the bed.

Toothless quietly stood up, then edged closer and closer to the bed. He tried to keep himself from doing it, but he couldn't help himself.

Toothless jumped forward, landing on top of the bed excitedly. Hiccup let out a yelp of surprise before tumbling off the side of the bed, joining his blanket on the ground.

"Toothless!" Hiccup scolded, looking up at the dragon. Toothless cooed in dragon laughter, then leaned back to grin widely at the human.

Hiccup pushed himself to his feet, stumbling over to the chair where he'd set his armor the night before. Toothless watched curiously as Hiccup strapped it on. Hiccup had designed this armor (what he called "flight armor 1". Apparently, he planned on making more? Toothless wasn't sure.) only a few months ago. Toothless hadn't fully understood why… exactly. Well, Toothless knew Hiccup needed some sort of flight suit in order to fly Toothless, but he hadn't expected Hiccup to design an entire outfit for it. Not like Hiccup needed protective armor to protect him! It wasn't like Toothless was going to let anything happen to him… oh well. Whatever Hiccup thought he needed.

Hiccup strapped on the last shoulder guard. He then bent down to pick up his saddle bag. He tossed this over Toothless's saddle. Toothless moved closer, ready for the long process of having his saddle put on. As much as he liked sleeping without the saddle on, it was such a pain having to take it on and off. It took almost fifteen minutes just to get everything into place.

Toothless sighed impatiently as he waited for Hiccup to finish. This was taking far too long. FAR too long.

"There." Hiccup finally said, stepping back. Toothless gave three little jumps in anticipation, wanting so badly to go for a flight.

Hiccup laughed, then jumped on Toothless's back. Toothless smiled, then leaped towards the window. He jumped into the air, soaring through the crisp morning air.

Toothless flipped his tongue out of his mouth, smiling widely around at the world. The sun was just peeking over the horizon, as though trying to decide if it wanted to come out or not. The sky was colored in pinks and oranges, making a beautiful landscape.

Toothless glanced behind when he heard a familiar squawk. He grinned all the more when he saw that it was Astrid and Stormfly. Toothless slowed down a bit, knowing that Hiccup would want to talk to Astrid. And, honestly, Toothless wanted to have a little chat with Stormfly as well.

 _"Morning, Stormfly!"_ Toothless greeted cheerfully.

 _"Hi!"_ Stormfly replied- well, squawked more like. _"Chilly morning, huh?"_

" _That it is! But it's kind of nice for a change."_

The two dragon's quieted, instead listening to their riders chatter.

"You're up early!" Hiccup said to Astrid merrily.

"I wasn't." Astrid looked down to Stormfly pointedly.

Stormfly looked up at her rider. _"You humans don't seem to get the saying; the early bird gets the worm. Only in our case… it's fish."_

Toothless cooed in laughter.

Astrid shook her head, "Excuses, escuses." Although she couldn't understand what the dragon had said, she still knew Stormfly's personality. She knew when she was making an excuse.

"Same here." Hiccup rubbed Toothless's head. "He seems to think I can survive on five hours of sleep."

"Five hours? Hiccup, you've got to get to bed sooner…"

"I-I usually do. Only last night I was working on a new tail for Toothless. I just couldn't set it down."

"Ugh, Hiccup, you'll never learn…"

Toothless shook his head. _"I'm with her, Hiccup. You're an idiot."_

Stormfly squawked, _"You don't actually think that… do you?"_

 _"Sometimes I do."_ Toothless said with a sigh. _"And if he's going to run himself to exhaustion… he's got to earn the consequences."_

There was silence for a few moments, from both dragon's and Vikings. It was Astrid who broke the silence.

"Sorry. We interrupted your morning flight… we can go if-"

"No! It's fine. I-I… we enjoy your company." Hiccup hurried to say.

 _"We?"_ Toothless asked.

"Well, alright. If you're sure…" Astrid said hesitantly

Although Toothless couldn't see Hiccup, he was certain he was smiling. "Absolutely."

"Well, thanks… if you don't want us, we can always leave…"

Toothless sighed. He glanced over at Stormfly in exasperation. "Seriously… do they always have to go on like this? Why don't they just say it so much simplir?"

Stormfly nodded in understanding. _"I know. It would be so much simpler to say "I love you. Would you be my mate for life?" then this going back and forth for… forever. Do humans ever just say it?"_

Toothless paused, then a slow grin began to make an appearance over his face.

"Uh, oh. Hiccup, your dragon is scheming something." Astrid said with a laugh.

Toothless cooed in laughter. She didn't even know the half of it.

He turned to Stormfly. _"Let's dump these two huh? Maybe we can shove them together to share a smooch or something?"_

 _"Couldn't agree more!_ " Stormfly squawked, before taking a sharp dive towards a large sea stack below.

Toothless quickly began to follow, ignoring Hiccup's shouts to slow down. Astrid was shouting similar things to Stormfly- who was also ignoring her.

Stormfly, just before landing on the sea stack, quickly flipped over, dumping Astrid on the ground. Stormfly zipped past, landing a little ways away.

Toothless saw Astrid stand up, holding a hand out to Stormfly in a scolding manner. "Stormfly! Get back here or I'll- _oof_."

Toothless chortled in laughter as he dropped Hiccup right on top of Astrid, slamming her to the ground once more. Toothless landed beside Stormfly, and the two turned around to see what the two human's would do.

"Ugh! S-sorry Astrid. TOOTHLESS! YOU'RE IN FOR IT!" Hiccup shouted- not angrily, just more upset and embarrassed then anything- to the dragon. Hiccup finally got to his feet, then bent down to help Astrid stand. Astrid dusted her skirt off, before turning back to face the two dragons.

"Stormfly!" she shouted. "Toothless!" shouted Hiccup.

Toothless took a step backwards, smiling slightly. Stormfly shook her head, sitting down as though to say, "I'm staying right here."

Astrid sighed. "Well, she's not going to budge. I know that. She's probably going to sit there for the next few hours, leaving me stranded on here." She gestured to the sea stack around them.

"Toothless, come on bud." Hiccup said, walking towards the dragon. Toothless shook his head, then sat down on his rear, turning his head to look in the opposite direction.

"Toothless…" Hiccup said warningly. Toothless didn't flinch. Hiccup sighed, "Guess I'm stuck here too."

Toothless smiled to himself, glad that their plan was working. He scooted back around, ready to watch the show.

 _"Think they'll get the hint?"_ Stormfly asked.

Toothless gave a small shrug. _"You never know with humans."_

Hiccup sat down on the ledge, swinging his legs over the side. Astrid stood for a moment, then sat down beside him. The two weren't touching, but it was a start.

"It's sure a beautiful morning." Astrid said quietly. If dragons didn't have the excellent hearing that they had, Toothless and Stormfly wouldn't've been able to pick it up.

"Yeah." Hiccup agreed.

The two sat quietly for a few more minutes more, and Toothless was beginning to give up again. Humans. Sometimes they were so difficult…

"Listen, Astrid." Hiccup said suddenly. Toothless snapped to attention, straining his ears to pick up every single word.

"I-I've been wanting to ask… you know…"

Toothless waited impatiently. Waiting... waiting…

Waiting some more…

Why wouldn't Hiccup JUST SPIT IT OUT ALREADY!?

"H-how… you know… you and me… us… well… what I mean to say…"

 _"Oh Hiccup."_ Toothless thought in despair. _"Hiccup Hiccup Hiccup…"_

"Y-You know the Harvest Fest that's coming up? The celebration at the Great Hall?"

Toothless quirked his head to the side. What was Hiccup doing? What was he saying?

Astrid nodded, also giving Hiccup an odd look. Toothless couldn't blame her. He was just as confused.

 _"What's he saying?"_ Stormfly asked quietly.

Toothless shook his head. _"I don't know."_

"Well… I-I was wondering… maybe you'd want to go with me? T-to the dance part and all? I mean… I'm not exactly good at dancing… especially with this…" Hiccup gestured to his metal leg, "but I'm not bad…"

Toothless laughed softly. _"FINALLY! We did it, Stormfly!"_

Stormfly stood up, squawking happily. _"Yes! We did it!"_

Toothless turned his attention back to the Vikings, waiting to hear Astrid's response.

"I'd love to go, Hiccup. It sounds… interesting. I've never danced before." Astrid responded happily. Toothless gave a chortle when he saw her lean over and give Hiccup a quick hug before jumping to her feet, helping Hiccup stand as well. She laughed lightly. "And I'm sure you're a great dancer."

Toothless leaned back and sighed. _"Mission accomplished. Ready to go home?"_

Stormfly stood up and spread her wings. _"Yep! I have a feeling I'm in for an earful… I'll let you know what Astrid has to say about all this."_

Toothless laughed again. _"Can't wait to hear all about it!"_

 **I had a lot of fun writing this… and I thought it turned out pretty cute too. Let me know if you liked it :D**

 **-FanWriter02**


	2. What Would We be Without You

**Title: What Would We be Without You**

 **Requested by: Zoha Ven**

 **Summary: Hiccup is severely injured while fighting Dragon Hunters, and the gang has time to think about how much he means to them.**

 **Rating: T for a small amount of violence**

 **Genres: Hurt/Comfort, Friendship**

 **AN/ Hi wonderful and awesome people! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THE FOLLOWERS AND REQUESTS! So happy you guys have some story ideas, and I am getting right to them so you don't have to wait too long. :D Okay, here you go. Thank you Zoha Ven for requesting this!**

 _Five hours previous:_

Astrid held her breath as she watched from her place with the others. She wriggled her wrists a bit, trying to loosen the ropes that bound them, but it was no use. They were tied tight.

An hour ago, Astrid would've been angry. Well, correction: she _had_ been angry. Hiccup had decided to take up this… crazy Berserker captain… in a sword fight between the two of them. Hiccup wins, he got Astrid and Stormfly. Berserker captain win, he gets Hiccup and Toothless. So, the sword fight had begun.

But that had been an hour ago, and now, Astrid was nothing but scared, concerned, and fiercely trying to get herself free. She rubbed her hands against the rough bark of the tree, desperately trying to loosen the chords, but nothing worked. Those Berserkers really knew how to tie a knot.

Astrid looked up again, no longer holding her breath but breathing heavily. She watched Hiccup stumbled backwards, his sword held up wearily. He was exhausted. That much was obvious. Not only that, but he was wounded. How badly, Astrid wasn't one-hundred percent sure. But he was definitely suffering from blood loss and exhaustion.

Astrid didn't once stop rubbing her wrists against the tree, trying to break the ropes. But her eyes constantly followed the two men around the small clearing. Hiccup was limping from a deep cut in his leg, making him slower than normal. He was usually extremely quick on his feet- ahem foot- which always made him a tricky target. But now, his moves were slow and groggy. His right arm was gripping his ribs at times, it was obvious he'd bruised them pretty bad from the frequent falls he kept taking, or the blows he kept getting from the Berserkers shield. His right arm also had a bleeding gash on it, although that one didn't look as bad as the one on his leg.

Besides that, Hiccup seemed to just have minor cuts and bruises. But Astrid knew he couldn't hold out for much longer. As it was, he was showing signs of fatigue. Poor Toothless was lying off to the side- not far from Astrid- where a large bola was wrapped around his mouth and legs. He moaned pitifully, wiggling about in attempts to break free. Stormfly was further away, but in much of the same predicament as Toothless.

It was up to Hiccup.

Oh, why hadn't he gone and gotten help? Why couldn't he be stupid and unchivalrous for once by saving his skin to go and get help? WHY!?

Because he was Hiccup. To loyal and stubborn to go and leave Astrid with the Berserkers. He would never do that to his friends. He would rather die than see them get hurt.

At the moment, Astrid was beginning to wonder if that might just happen. The thought made her struggle all the harder to get loose.

She eventually got the gag of her mouth, gasping for air once she did so. She breathed heavily, still rubbing her arms against the tree. She didn't care if her arms got scratches and burned, she didn't care. She needed to get free and free the dragon's, and to help Hiccup.

Astrid jerked her head up when she heard a shout. Her eyes widened in horror at the sight of Hiccup lying on his back against the ground, with the big Berserker towering over him, the sword held above his head.

"NO!" Astrid screamed. "NO! HE'S MORE USE TO YOU ALIVE THEN DEAD! DON'T KILL HIM!" She shrieked, writhing pathetically in the ropes. "PLEASE!" she begged, feeling absolutely helpless.

The Berserker held he sword in the air, hesitating slightly. "Why's he more used to me alive then dead?"

Astrid's mind scrambled to find a reason. Well, she could think of a million reasons why he was more use alive… but all of them would mean bad things for Hiccup. Such as, he can train dragons for you. Even if they did get out of this, the Dragon Hunters would then try to capture Hiccup to get him to train dragons. She couldn't let that happen.

"Uhhh…" Astrid stuttered. She looked at Hiccup, who was looking at her in confusion. Astrid took notice of how clouded his eyes were… she knew he couldn't stay conscious for much longer.

"He's…" Astrid started, her mind scrambling to find something safe to say. "We'll pay ransom!" Astrid shouted. "Money! Cold, hard cash! If you just keep us alive- and the dragons- the others at our fort will pay you ransom for us."

The man seemed to contemplate this for a moment, then he shook his head. "My orders were to kill him… and you. Although we will keep the dragons." The man laughed cruelly. "Viggo doesn't want to have to put up with him. Don't know why…" the man's voice trailed off. Then, he lifted the sword higher before bringing it down, thrusting it into Hiccup's stomach.

"NO!" Astrid screamed, jerking her body forward trying to snap the ropes. Her heart beat picked up dramatically as she watched the man with draw the bloody sword, laughing once again over Hiccup. Astrid gasped heavily, trying to find any signs of Hiccup still being alive. "HICCUP!" she shouted again, trying to garner any reaction. Hiccup was limp, and she could only barely see the little rise and fall of his chest. At least she knew he was alive.

Toothless roared furiously, unfolding his wings, quickly snapping the ropes right off of him. He stood up, and with a loud roar jumped towards the man, pushing him to the ground.

"Toothless! I need a weapon, Toothless!" Astrid shouted. Toothless, still sitting on top of the Berserker, used his tail to flick Hiccup's sword over at Astrid's feet. She kicked it around to the back of the tree where her hands could reach it. She gripped it tightly, before slicing the roped off her wrists.

She catapulted forward, rushing over to Hiccup's body. She collapsed to her knees beside him, scrambling to grab his hand.

"Hiccup." She whispered while feeling for his pulse. She felt the thready pulse, giving a short sigh in relief. "Thank Thor." She whispered. "Hiccup, stay with me, Hiccup. I'm going to get you back to the Edge…"

She let go of his hand to shake his shoulders, trying to wake him up. Hiccup's gave a weak cough while his head rolled to the side. His eyes stayed shut.

Astrid rushed over to Toothless, who was still sitting on top of the Berserker captain. She grabbed his saddle bags, quickly jerking them off the saddle before rushing back to Hiccup.

She pulled out the bandages and canteens of water he stored for emergencies. She lifted up Hiccup's bloody shirt, knowing she had to stop the bleeding in the wound before anything else. She gave a harsh gasp at the sight of the wound, but didn't pause at all. She dumped a whole canteen of water over the still bleeding wound, before wrapping rolls of gauze around it tightly in attempts to stem the bleeding.

She hastily wrapped Hiccup's arm and leg as well, but didn't waste too much time on that. She needed to get him somewhere safe. He needed medical attention immediately.

Astrid took Hiccup's sword and hastily cut Stormfly's ropes. Then, she picked up the roped and tied the man to a tree. "We'll be back to deal with you." Astrid hissed to him. She tied the gag around his mouth tightly to make sure it wouldn't come loose.

She walked back to Hiccup, and picked him up with some difficulty. He wasn't as light as she thought he was. She climbed up onto Stormfly's back, positioning Hiccup carefully in her arms.

"Toothless, you follow on the ground, okay?" Toothless nodded with a coo of worry before taking off, already running as fast as he could to Dragon's Edge.

Astrid urged Stormfly to the sky, holding Hiccup tight in her arms. She needed to get him home.

…

"What's taking her so long?" Snotlout grumbled from his seat. He was slouched against the hut wall, continually glancing up at the door to Hiccup's hut. Gothi had been in there for what felt like forever. When would she be done?

Fishlegs was twiddling his thumbs nervously, sitting down on the ground beside the Ruffnut and Tuffnut. "I don't know… maybe it's because…" Fishlegs gave a squeak, "Oh, what if Hiccup's so bad that she's just trying to keep him alive in here? Oh, what if-"

"Fishlegs. Just, stop." Astrid snapped. She was pacing nervously back and forth on the platform, almost wearing a nice path in the wood. "H-He'll be fine."

None of the others looked very convinced, and in honesty, neither was Astrid. Everyone- even the twins, looked on edge and concerned. Everyone was worried for Hiccup.

"What if he dies..?" Ruffnut whispered.

"He won't!" Astrid replied sharply. Her voice quieted down to a whisper. "H-he can't." she gave a sharp gasp, and stopped her pacing as she came to realize. What would she do if Hiccup died?

The others seemed to be thinking similar thoughts, for everyone was looking extremely sad. Even Snotlout looked depressed.

Astrid whispered, "I-I have so much to make up for… all those years I ignored him… fifteen years. Four years isn't enough time to make up for fifteen years… he. He just CAN'T die."

"Yeah." Tuffnut said mournfully. "All those days we didn't listen to him. That time we stole his leg…"

"Well, you have to admit, that was funny." Ruffnut added.

Tuffnut continued, his voice rising for a dramatic effect. "And Hiccup will never get to ride Toothless again… and we'll never get to say we're sorry… and… and!"

"STOP IT!" Snotlout shouted to him. "JUST, STOP IT! HE'LL BE FINE! HE'S HICCUP! HE'S ALWAYS FINE!"

Tuffnut snapped his mouth closed. "Hey, I know that. Sounds more like you're telling yourself more than me."

Snotlout quieted. "I never treated him nicely when we were younger. I mean, it was easy to do. He was always the shrimp. I used to call him names, and sometimes tricked him… like that time I told him to eat those poisonous berries in the woods. He listened of course, and was sick for days… I didn't think anything of it before, you know. Everything with the dragons. But now… he's really not that bad. Even if he is a shrimp and talks funny and isn't like a Viking. He's still brave, strong, an awesome friend. I-I feel like a jerk for all the stuff I did to him back then."

Everyone stared at Snotlout after hearing his long speech. Fishleg's mouth was gaping open in shock, not really believing what he was hearing. Astrid wasn't much different.

Snotlout looked around, and Astrid could've sworn she saw a tear glisten on his cheek. "What?" he asked hoarsely, "You guys care too you know." He said defensively.

Astrid dropped to the ground, tracing her finger across the wood. "I wish we'd noticed how… kind and just… great Hiccup was back then. I wish we'd just seen him as he was, and not by who he wasn't. I-I wish I could go back and change everything… to actually care and give him a friend."

The others nodded in agreement. Then, Tuffnut burst into tears. "IT'S JUST TOO SAAAAADDDDDD!" he sobbed, rolling over onto his side. "MAKE IT STOP, MAKE IT STOP!" he moaned, rolling back and forth.

Ruffnut stared at her brother sadly. "I knew you had a heart." She sniffed.

"NOT ANYMOREEEEE!" Tuffnut howled. "I think it's broken!" he continued to sob.

Astrid wiped furiously at her face, trying to scrub the tears away with her fists. She looked around at the others, noticing that she and Tuffnut weren't the only one's weeping.

"He needs to live." She said firmly. "He's strong. He'll fight through this. He's had worse."

"Not by much." Ruffnut croaked. "Maybe his leg…"

Astrid was about to say something more, but just then Hiccup's hut door creaked open. Gothi stepped out, holding her staff in her hand.

Fishlegs immediately moved forward to read what she scratched on the little pile of sand she had scattered on the ground. He laughed giddily.

"She says he'll be okay! If we keep him hydrated of course and if he doesn't do anything too strenuous for a couple weeks-"

But the rest of Fishlegs words were lost by the excited whooping and high-fiving that was going on around the small group. Snotlout jumped up and shouted, "I KNEW HE'D BE OKAY!" While Tuffnut and Ruffnut stood up, knocking their heads against one another's, rattling each other's helmets.

Astrid just stood up, and raced right past Gothi. She didn't care what the old lady said or did to her. She had to see Hiccup, and really see that he would be okay.

The others weren't far behind her. Gothi was following close behind the small crowd, waving her staff and hitting anybody she got close enough to. But everyone ignored her, having only one thing on their minds.

See and make sure Hiccup was okay.

Astrid reached his loft first, skidding to a stop when she reached the top of the steps. The others slid to a stop behind her, nearly toppling her over in the process.

Toothless was curled up at the foot of Hiccup's bed, appearing to be asleep. But Toothless's eyes were open, and when he noticed the others he lifted his head up to see them. He cooed towards them before settling his head back down on the ground, sighing in exhaustion.

The others quietly crowded around the bed, looking at Hiccup expectantly. He was sleeping- or unconscious- no one really knew for certain. But his chest was rising and falling gradually, revealing steady breathing. This made everyone relax, glad to see him looking so much better then what he'd looked hours earlier.

Hiccup stirred, and everyone held their breathe they waited. No one made a sound.

Hiccup's eyes blinked open, and he stared at them in confusion.

"H-hi guys… something wrong?" he slurred.

There was a beat, then Toothless's head poked up from the foot of the bed, his mouth curved in a sloppy smile. That was when everyone began talking, all at once.

"HICCUP! WE'RE SO SORRY, WE SHOULD'VE GONE WITH YOU AND-" the twins shouted in sync.

"Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the third! If you do that to me again, so help me, I will personally make sure you pay the consequences!" Astrid scolded, although the grin on her face revealed she wasn't really angry, only covering up for her true feelings.

"Hey cuz! Glad to see you're awake and well! I'M GOING TO HAVE SOOO MUCH FUN GUARDING YOU AND MAKING SURE YOU STAY IN BED!" Snotlout shouted.

Fishlegs was saying giddily and so fast that absolutely NO ONE could understand what he was saying. "Hiccup! You're okay! You don't know how worried we were you looked horrible when Astrid brought you back and we all thought you were dead or were going to die but then Snotlout went and got Gothi and she was in looking at you for what felt like forever and I wasn't sure if you were going to be okay at all and Tuffnut was crying and Astrid was snappier then usual and Snotlout actually was caring and-"

Toothless was even joining in the jabber, making dragony noises that sounded like utter nonsense but he was obviously trying to tell Hiccups something that he thought very important. The dragon looked overjoyed, that happy smile never leaving his face.

Hiccup was looking about from one face to another, trying to make some sense of what was going on. Finally, he held up his good hand in a weak attempt to stop them.

"Guys…" Hiccup said, and even though it was one quiet word, it shut everyone up. He blinked tiredly again, "I…" he started, but his eyes were already fluttering closed.

Gothi pushed her way through, looking angrily at the teens. She shook her arms at them, urgint hem away.

"Get better soon, Hiccup." Fishlegs said before leaving

"We'll be back to pester you." The twins added before following. Snotlout muttered something about Hiccup getting better, then he hurried to leave.

Astrid took Hiccup's hand, and gave it a squeeze. "I'll be back later. Get some rest."

Hiccup blinked drowsily. "Mkay…" he whispered weakly.

Astrid smiled as she watched his eyes closed and his breathing even out, indicating sleep. She pushed his bangs off his forehead before pressing a quick kiss to it, then she turned and left.

Toothless moved to the side of the bed, resting his head by Hiccup's hand. Toothless nudged his nose under Hiccup's fingers, sighing when he felt the warmness of his hand touch his skin. The dragon closed his eyes, glad that Hiccup was alright and on the mend.

 **The end to this one guys!**

 **So, again, if you have any requests or suggestions, post them below or PM me. I just wanted to put a couple of rules here real quick, just to clear up anything that was left unclear.**

 **I only ship Hiccup with Astrid and Astrid with Hiccup. I don't do anything rated higher then T. No swearing or inappropriate scenes either.**

 **Okay, so just wanted to clear that up. Now, I've gotta go, will talk to you all later!**


	3. We're on his side

**Title: We're on his side**

 **Requested by: Greatdivide101**

 **Summary: Four months after HTTYD 1, a visiting tribe comes to renew a peace treaty with Berk, but the chief's son picks on Hiccup. Hiccup's friends notice, and they think it's high time for them to act as true friends.**

 **Rating: K-T**

 **Genre: Friendship, Hurt/Comfort**

 **AN: Guess what everybody! Today is my two-month anniversary! Yippee! *streamers and confetti* brink out the cake! *grabs imaginary piece of chocolate cake* yum yum! Everyone have some cake! XD Okay, so here you go, and thank you Greatdivide101 for requesting this! :D**

Hiccup opened the door and closed it behind him. Stopping short when he saw Gobber helping Stoick buckle the large metal chiefing belt.

"Oh great." Hiccup mumbled to himself. Toothless looked up at him in confusion. "So, what tribe is it today?" Hiccup asked, walking towards his father and the blacksmith. His still limped slightly, since it had only been four months since the Red Death, but Gobber said he was really doing quite well for the short amount of time he'd had his metal leg. Hiccup stopped, trying to distribute his wait evenly on both his legs. It was tricky getting used to being… well… heavier on one side and not the other. Hiccup and Gobber were still working on a leg that weighed enough to even him out, but it wasn't finished yet, so Hiccup just made do.

"It's Chief Elttab and his tribe. Since they're a smaller island, it won't be as big a celebration, but you know, got to show respect."

Gobber stepped back, setting his hand and hook on hips. "Yeah, I just don't understand… who would name themselves Elttab? I mean… really?"

Stoick gripped onto the belt, wiggling it about a bit to loosen it, "It's "battle" spelt backwards, Gobber. I guess he thought it sounded… scary?"

Hiccup shook his head, partially ignoring the rest of what his father said. The big thing that was playing in his mind, was that Elltab's son, Claidheamh (more commonly known as "Claid" pronounced "Clade"). Claid was even worse than Dagur, because usually Dagur didn't even try to hide what he did from Stoick, so he'd often get in trouble for whatever he did. But Claid would find some way to go off in private with Hiccup, be it hunting or setting traps, he always found a way. And usually, he'd rough Hiccup around, or tease him- sometimes both. But Hiccup always hid it from his Dad. He didn't want to cause any problems between the two tribes. Besides, it hadn't been very hard to hide the fact that Claid had hurt him, because his Dad didn't pay much attention to him normally, but when the visiting tribe was there, he hardly spoke to Hiccup at all.

But things had changed. Now, Hiccup and Stoick actually seed eye to eye on some matters. Not a lot, but some. And Stoick obviously had changed. He cared about Hiccup, and now showed it openly. He involved Hiccup in the village events, listened to Hiccup when he wanted to talk, or asked him his opinion on matters concerning the village. It would definitely be harder to hide things from his Dad now.

Not only that, but now Hiccup had friends. He was certain they'd take notice if anything happened. And Astrid was pretty short tempered. She would lash out in a flash, and BOOM they'd have a war on their hands.

Hiccup couldn't let that happen.

"Uh… Dad." Hiccup started. "H-how bout me and Toothless leave town for a few days?"

Stoick looked at Hiccup, startled. Then he laughed, "Course not Hiccup! You're the chief's son. You must stay here. Besides, you and Claid are friends, right? You two can hang out some more. Show him around Berk a bit."

"Uh, Dad-"

"Nonsense." Stoick said quietly, shaking his head as he left the hut, Gobber hobbling after him.

Hiccup sighed, then felt a scaly nose nudge his hand. Hiccup lifted his hand and rubbed Toothless's head softly.

"Well, guess this won't be any different than the other times." Hiccup said quietly. Toothless tilted his head up at Hiccup questioningly. "Come on, bud. We've got a bunch of dragons to move."

Hiccup climbed onto Toothless's back, nudging him gently. Toothless bound of the stairs, then jumped out the large window into the open air. The other dragon riders were already up in the air, going about and gathering dragons. They'd take them to Raven's Point, where they'd be safe until the tribe left.

After leaving the dragon's at Dragon point, including the one's they'd ridden, (poor Toothless hated it, but listened to Hiccup, so had stayed behind.) so they were all walking back to the village. Hiccup was quieter than usual, while the others talked excitedly.

"Boy, I cannot wait for Claid to get here! I mean, that guy is awesome. He's tall, big, tough, and had a huge gold battle axe since he was two! Have you guys seen it?" Snotlout went on.

Tuffnut nodded his head excitedly, "Oh yeah, it weighs like ten pounds! And you know, for a baby that's pretty heavy."

"Yeah, he uses it more like dagger now for throwing." Ruffnut added.

Hiccup remained silent, not really paying much attention to what they were talking about. His mind kept wandering to the fact that Claid was coming today, and he was in for a long two days.

Astrid looked over at him, she too being quiet. They walked a bit behind the others, so they could talk pretty much without the others hearing them.

"Hey, what's up?" Astrid asked, giving Hiccup's shoulder a little nudge.

"Huh?" Hiccup asked, looking up. He blinked twice, then seemed to snap out of it, "Oh, yeah, nothing. Nothings up. I mean, besides the sky. That's up. Trees too. Those are-"

Astrid punched him lightly, "I didn't mean that. I meant what's wrong."

Hiccup shrugged. "Nothing… absolutely nothing."

Astrid didn't look at all convinced. She eyed him suspiciously, but she ended up turning to look back at the others. "I don't believe you."

Hiccup sighed, but didn't say anything.

They stepped into a clearing, Berk not very far away. They were so close, Hiccup could see the people moving about on the docks. That also brought his eyes to the ships that were quickly sailing closer towards Berk.

"Oh, oh look! They're here! Hurry guys!" Snotlout shouted, first pointing at the ships before turning and running as fast as he could towards Berk.

The others took off, leaving Hiccup and Astrid to walk at a bit slower pace towards Berk. Hiccup's foot and prosthetic seemed to drag even more than usual. He really didn't want to have to put up with Claid. He wanted so badly to go back to the cove, jump on Toothless, and fly away until tomorrow night. Oh, he wanted to do that so so so badly…

"Somethings up." Astrid interrupted his thoughts. Hiccup turned and looked at her.

"Wh-what do you mean?" He asked, trying to cover up for how he was feeling. He almost sighed in relief at how cheerful his voice sounded.

"You're acting weird." Astrid paused, "Well, weirder."

Hiccup rolled his eyes. It was the standing joke between him and her. That and the punching… why did she always have to communicate using violence? "What else is new?" Hiccup asked, trying to look like he was playing along.

"You're-" Astrid started, but was interrupted by the loud horn that blew throughout the village. Hiccup looked up, but already knew what that meant.

"Well, looks like they're here." Hiccup said almost tiredly. "I'd better go meat Dad or else he'll be mad at me for not greeting Elttab."

Astrid snorted, still following Hiccup towards the docks , "Elttab." She laughed. "What a funky name."

Hiccup held his breath when he saw his Dad, followed by chief Elttab, coming towards him. He noticed that Claid was close behind, conversing with Snotlout and the twins. The four seemed to be getting on marvelously, and Hiccup only wished it would go the same for him.

"And you've met my son, Hiccup. And that's his friend, Astrid." Stoick said, stopping before passing Hiccup. He smiled proudly, although of course, Elttab didn't know the reason for that since they'd kept the secret about the "training dragon's".

"Oh, yes, of course. Good to see you again, Hiccup. Nice meeting you, Astrid." Elttab said nicely enough. He didn't make any move to shake his hand, to pat him on the back, or geez even to pat him on the head. He acted like Hiccup wasn't even there. He acted as if Hiccup were a wall that needed to be talked to.

"H-hi, Chief. How's the island?" Hiccup asked, trying to sound polite. It sure was hard though with his voice so shaky.

"Fine." Was the curt answer. Hiccup sighed, knowing that that would probably be all he'd get out of the chief.

"What happened to your leg, squirt?" Claid asked, stepping up once Stoick and Elttab had walked away. Snotlout and the twins looked at each other in surprise, but none of them said anything. Hiccup noticed Astrid stiffen beside him, and he glanced over just in time to see her reach for her axe strapped to her back. Hiccup nudged her with his foot to keep her from doing anything.

Hiccup stuttered a bit, hating himself for it. He wanted to try and appear to be strong… and not afraid. Not in front of his friends. "Uh, had a little… incident with a dragon."

Tuffnut stepped forward, "Yeah! He killed the Red Death all by himself! He and-" before he could say anything else, Snotlout grabbed him by his arm and shoved him aside.

"Yep, killed a whole Red Death, but we helped of course." Snotlout said, "I went in and hit it's blind spot, if it weren't for me, we'd all probably be dead."

On one hand, Hiccup was glad Snotlout was distracting Claid. But on the other hand, he really didn't like how Snotlout was praising himself.

Claid's look was one of shock. Hiccup smiled to himself, silently enjoying that look. For once, Claid actually looked jealous of Hiccup.

"He killed a dragon… by himself?" Claid asked, his voice filled with doubt.

"Yes. He did. If it wasn't for him, we'd all be dead." Astrid said fiercely, as though daring Claid to say differently. Hiccup was glad for her support, but he really didn't want her to start a fight over him.

Claid looked at Hiccup, his face hard. Hiccup gulped nervously. Great, now Claid had a reason to be angry at Hiccup. Great, just great…

"How about I meet you guys at the Great Hall tonight?" Claid asked, turning back to the others. "We can have some more fun then."

"Yeah, sure Claid. Whatever you want." Snotlout hurried to say, before hurrying off towards the Great Hall, the twins following close behind.

Hiccup looked to Astrid. "Y-You can go ahead… I'll meet up with you later."

Astrid eyed him for a moment, but when he gave her a sharp nod, she finally gave in. She shot Claid a harsh glare before turning to follow the others.

Claid stepped forward, startling Hiccup a bit. "So, that your girlfriend or something?" he asked, his voice rough and terrible.

"Friend." Hiccup corrected. "We're friends."

Claid laughed, "Last I checked you didn't _have any_ friends."

Hiccup glared at him, "Well, things have changed."

"What, because you killed one lousy dragon? What, are you the big hero now or something?"

"Uh… no." Hiccup started, not really sure what to say to that.

Claid reached out and grabbed Hiccup's arm, dragging him towards the woods. "Come on, squirt. We have some business to attend to."

Hiccup struggled against Claid's hold, trying to break free. "Wh-why don't we talk about this over lunch or something? You know, like sensible people instead of-"

"Shut up." Claid interrupted, jerking Hiccup's arm for emphasis. Hiccup clamped his mouth shut, knowing that it would go faster if he stayed quiet.

He hated treaty renewals…

…

Astrid stepped behind a building, not far from where Hiccup and Claid were now standing. She glanced back and saw Snotlout, the twins, and Fishlegs not far away. She waved her arms in a gesture for them to come.

"What is it, Astrid?" Fishleg's asked.

Astrid pointed back towards Hiccup and Claid. "I don't trust him." She said harshly. "Did you guys hear the way he made fun of Hiccup?"

Snotlout shrugged, "It's just harmless funning."

Astrid glared at him. "It is not. He was being cruel." She paused before peaking around the building. She gasped when she saw Claid reach out and grab Hiccup's arm. "Guys, look!"

The others all popped their head around the corner to see what she was looking at. Fishleg's squeaked in alarm when Claid began dragging a struggling Hiccup towards the trees.

"What's he doing?" Tuffnut asked.

Ruffnut crossed her arms and pouted, "He's having fun without us, I bet."

Astrid took off down the path towards the trees. She stopped and said behind her. "Didn't you see? He's going to hurt Hiccup! We have to help!"

The others began to follow her quickly, Snotlout following at a more leisurely pace. "Yeah, sure. I think you're wrong. I bet they're going hunting or something like that. Like they always do."

"Hiccup was fighting Claid, Snotlout. He was being dragged forcefully." Astrid replied, not once stopping. They dashed into the trees, following the foot prints on the slightly damp ground.

Astrid stopped, and brought a finger to her lips to signal silence. She ducked behind a tree, signaling the others to do the same.

Astrid peered down into the gully that Claid and Hiccup were in. Claid had finally let go of Hiccup, who was now standing a bit to the side rubbing his forearm. Astrid's heart ached slightly for him at the sight.

She could just barely pick up what they were saying. "So, squirt, you've become a dragon killer, huh? The "big hero of Berk"?" Claid said angrily.

"I never said that." Hiccup replied firmly. Astrid wanted to cheer him on for the tone he used. It was one that clearly said, "I don't care what you think".

Claid whirled around and delivered a harsh kick to Hiccup's good leg, easily knocking the boy to the ground. Hiccup onto his side, but stopped when Claid kicked him again in the stomach.

"How dare he!?" Snotlout exclaimed in a loud whisper. "He- He just kicked Hiccup!"

"Let's get him!" Tuffnut exclaimed.

Astrid held out a hand. Yes, that was exactly what she wanted to do. Oh, how she wanted to go down there and just strangle Claid. But she also knew that if she did that, it would quite possibly start a war.

"Guys…" she started, but then her heart nearly broke when she saw Claid continue hurting Hiccup by kicking him. It was obvious Hiccup was trying to just deal with it, but he was also in an obviously large amount of pain. He cried out when Claid kicked him again, and this time, Astrid didn't care. Let a war be started, she didn't care. Claid was hurting Hiccup, and she couldn't just let that happen!

She jumped up, the others following suit. She jumped down he steep hill screaming a loud almost war cry.

She jumped and tackled Claid to the ground. She bent his arm behind his back, twisting his wrist so he couldn't get it free.

"He's not alone anymore!" she shouted at him. "We're on his side, and as long as we're his friends, we're not letting anybody hurt him!"

Claid yanked his hand free, and she let him. She stood up, and stared down at him coldly. "Get." She hissed.

Claid didn't have to be told twice. He crawled to his feet before running off back towards the village with a shout of, "I'm telling my Dad!" behind him.

Astrid whirled around, her voice filled with panic. "Hiccup!" she shouted, dropping to the ground beside him. The others were crowding around, none of them really certain what to do.

Hiccup moaned, pulling his knees up to his chest. His breathing was raspy, and uneven. He probably had the wind knocked right out of him, but not only that, he probably suffered from some rib damage as well. Astrid really hoped he his lungs hadn't been hurt.

"Can you stand up, Hiccup?" by the looks of it, he couldn't even sit up. But she didn't want to embarrass him by someone carrying him.

Hiccup nodded, all the while keeping his eyes shut. Astrid slipped her arm under his shoulder blades, helping him to sit up. Although the others probably didn't hear it, she heard the hiss he made through his clenched teeth.

"Hiccup…" she started.

"I-I'm fine… D-don't worry." Hiccup stuttered. He looked up at his friends, smiling lopsidedly. "Thanks… guys. F-for helping me…"

"Hey, we're your friends. And that's what friends do." Snotlout answered, surprising Astrid. He had actually said something… that was accurate and actually nice.

"He's right, Hiccup. This is what friends do. Besides, it's the least we could do for all you've done for us."  
"Th-thanks…" Hiccup wheezed.

Astrid shook her head. "There's no way you're walking back to the village like this. Snotlout." She let go of Hiccup's back when Snotlout bent down, picking Hiccup right up. Hiccup closed his eyes, not even showing signs of discomfort or protesting like she though he would.

"Let's get you home." She said, turning to lead the way.

 **So, what happens next, you guys can just come up with your own endings in your heads… however you want it to happen. I hope you liked this… and it wasn't too boring. :D**

 **See you in the next one! Thanks, everyone!**


	4. Who's the Strongest?

**Title: Who's the Strongest?**

 **Requested by: Jokermask18**

 **Summary: The Race to the Edge gang decide to have an arm wrestling competition.**

 **Genre: Friendship/Fun**

 **Rating: K**

Hiccup walked into the clubhouse, Toothless trailing behind. The first thing he noticed was how the other dragon riders were gather around the table against the wall, watching Fishlegs and Snotlout doing something.

"Hey gang." Hiccup greeted, going over to join them. He peered over Tuffnut's shoulder to see what was happening.

"Morning, Hiccup." Astrid replied, not looking up to look at him. "Snotlout vs. Fishlegs. Who do you think is going to win?"

Hiccup finally saw what they were looking at. Snotlout and Fishlegs were arm-wrestling, and Hiccup could easily tell who was going to win. Fishlegs was already bending Snotlouts arm towards the table top, and he didn't even look like he was trying.

"Fishlegs." Hiccup answered definitely.

Fishlegs slammed Snotlouts arm to the table, and Snotlout yelped, yanking his arm away. "Redo! You cheated!.. somehow!" Snotlout whined, rubbing his arm tenderly.

"Nope. You lost fair and square, Snotlout." Heather said, laughing. "Who goes next? They have to compete against the winner… Fishlegs!" she said dramatically.

Tuffnut raised his hand and jumped up and down. "Oh me! Pick me!"

Heather pointed a finger to Tuffnut. "Tuffnut! Step forward and take a seat." She gestured towards Snotlout's chair. She paused, then nudged Snotlout with her boot.

Snotlout, all the while grumbling, stood up and walked towards the back of the crowd, obviously pouting.

Tuffnut sat down, then immediately grabbed Fishlegs hand.

"One, two, three, go!" Astrid shouted, leaning closer to see who'd win.

Hiccup shook his head, already knowing this one. Fishlegs would win again, he was certain.

And… he was right. Fishlegs slammed Tuffnut's arm to the table, making Tuffnut yelp in surprise.

"What!? No! This is not possible!" Tuffnut shouted dramatically, holding out his arm in front of his face. "I- I cannot lose!"

Ruffnut chuckled. "Well, sorry to tell you this, bro, but you lost." She glanced away, "How come I'm not surprised?"

Tuffnut, who was still wiggling his arm about, looked up at Ruffnut sharply, then pointed a finger at her. "What!? How dare you? I'm gonna-" and with that he jumped on top of Ruffnut, the two collapsing in a heap on the floor.

"Hiccup, your next!" Astrid called, pointing at the empty chair.

Hiccup snapped his head up from where it was currently directed towards the floor. "What!? ME? Haha, no… trust me, I'll lose first thing…"

Heather grabbed Hiccup's arm then slammed him into the chair. "Then we all want to see it." She said.

Hiccup sighed, "That's encouraging."

Fishlegs smiled, then gripped onto Hiccup's hand tightly. Hiccup held his breath, then waited for the signal.

Astrid began the count down. "1…2…3… go!"

Hiccup pressed down with all his might, surprised by how easy it was. Maybe he wasn't as weak as he originally thought he was.

Fishlegs squeaked when Hiccup slammed his fist against the table. Everyone was looking at him with a bit of a shocked expression on their faces.

"Woah." Heather murdered. "Did Hiccup just… win at a muscle competition?"

Astrid looked at Fishlegs. "Did you go easy on him?"

Fishlegs shook his head, holding up his arms in a surrendering gesture. "No! I was trying my hardest!"

Astrid glanced back at Hiccup, who was sitting smugly in his seat. Toothless came up behind his chair and cooed in laughter.

Ruffnut and Tuffnut stood up. "Why are you all so surprised?" Tuffnut asked. "You should of seen the wallop he gave to Snotlout's jaw." He shook his head, looking off dreamily. "It was a beauty."

"Hey, it _hurt_!" Snotlout shouted defensively. He rubbed his jaw tenderly, remembering the three teeth he'd lost after the episode.

Astrid looked from the twins to Hiccup, "How come I didn't know about this?"

Hiccup shrugged. "I don't know how you _couldn't_. Snotlout was complaining about his jaw for days."

Heather looked utterly confused. "You mean Hiccup punched Snotlout, and he actually knocked out teeth?" she burst into laughter.

Hiccup looked indignant, "He asked for it."

Astrid shoved Fishlegs. "Alright, smarty pants, if that's how you're going to act." She placed her elbow on the table, arching an eyebrow at him.

Hiccup smiled slowly, then gripped onto her hand. "I'm going to lose. You're still the strongest out of all of us…" he said.

Astrid grinned. "Count down, Heather!"

"I'll count!" Ruffnut shouted.

"No, you can't even count to one." Tuffnut contradicted.

"Yes I can! One!"

"Oh… I guess you can."

Heather ignored them, "One…two…three!"

Hiccup pressed with all his might against Astrid hand. He moaned against the effort, realizing that she was a LOT stronger then he'd originally thought- which meant that she was REALLY strong.

"No, Hiccup! Don't let her beat you!" Fishlegs shouted, waving a fist in the air.

Astrid had her jaw clenched, and was obviously putting all her strength into this. Their fists were still in the middle, although Hiccup's hand was slowly backing down, Astrid's hand on top.

"Go, Astrid, go Astrid!" Tuffnut cheered.

Toothless cooed, as though cheering Hiccup on.

Hiccup exhaled sharply, letting his hand hit the ground. He withdrew it, while Astrid held up her hands in victory.

Hiccup stood up, moving out of the way. He moved his hand towards it, looking up at Heather. "You're turn to compete the champion!"

Astrid looked up at Heather, grinning. "Yep, come on, Heather. Your turn!"

Heather sat down, then placed her elbow on the table. "Not the champion for long!" she challenged.

Astrid gripped Heather's hand, and Hiccup began the count down.

"3…2…1…go!" Heather and Astrid immediately went rigid, their faces tense as they both concentrated on the game at hand. Astrid moaned, then pushed all the harder, her free hand gripping onto the table tightly.

Tuffnut pointed at her excitedly. "Look! Astrid's _actually struggling_! Hoho is she going to actually lose for once?"

"I hope so, bro." Ruffnut replied eagerly.

"Would… you two… stop it!" Astrid grunted. The two fists were shaking violently, as though they were magnets placed in between two opposite magnets. They just couldn't make up their mind where to go.

"This is really hard to tell… it could go either way." Fishlegs said slowly.

"I'm going with Astrid." Hiccup finally said. "Sorry, Heather."

Heather grunted in reply, her teeth clenched too tightly for her to say anything.

There was silence for a few moments, and nothing really happened. No ground was gained for either girl.

Snotlout finally shouted. "Would one of you just give up already! This could go on all day!"

"I'm… not… giving up!" Heather replied.

"Same for me!" Astrid agreed.

Hiccup leaned back, wondering how long this was going to take.

Finally, Hiccup saw Heather wrist beginning to back down, Astrid putting all her strength into it. The others began shouting and cheering, then Astrid pushed Heather's wrist all the way down onto the table, jumping up from her chair and shouting her victory.

Heather stood up, flexing her wrist painfully. "Yep, she's still the best."

"Thank you." Astrid said, still smiling. "Guess wielding an axe has two rewards huh?"

Tuffnut snapped his fingers. "Axe wielding! That's how she does it!"

Ruffnut nudged Hiccup and whispered loudly, "You should get an axe, Hiccup."

Hiccup laughed, then shook his head. "No, thanks. I'm quite happy with my knife or sword."

"They suit him better anyways." Astrid said, resting a hand on his shoulder.

"Like how I'm suited for Macey?" Tuffnut asked, hugging his large mace in his arms. "Or me and Chicken? Although she's not a very good weapon… but she can be when she's angry. Trust me, I know. She can be very touchy during her laying time."

"Well, good games everyone! I vote now, for a race around the island and the winner gets to push everyone into the bay!" Astrid shouted.

Everyone agreed heartily, exiting the building with slaps on the backs and words of competition.

 **Sorry for the lame ending… but I wasn't sure how to end this. Yeah, I stink at endings. I really do. And titles. I have such a hard time with titles!**

 **So if you guys make a request, and have a title name in mind, please add that to your request! I could use all the help I can get for titles…**

 **Three weeks in two days till RTTE! Can't wait!**

 **Okay, gotta go. Will see you later!**


	5. Let's Take Care of Hiccup!

**Title: "Let's take care of Hiccup!"**

 **Requested by: Greatdivide101**

 **Summary: Hiccup has the flu and a phantom pain while his Dad's away from home, but his friends have his back. Takes place during the "Legend of the Boneknapper" time-zone.**

 **Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Friendship**

 **Rating: K**

 **A/N: Hi Hi Hi Hiiiii! I'm back! So, Greatdivide101 requested this (thank you Greatdivide, greatly appreciate it) and I hope this is what you wanted… If any of you have requests, please PM me or review! (I'm starting to run out of requests :o) Note to ReptileGirl497: I am working on the story you requested… it's just slow in coming. I don't know why but I'm having a hard time just pulling it all together. But I should have it done soon. Thanks for waiting!**

 **Here you go everyone!**

Hiccup blinked his eyes open, not quite sure what had woken him up. He looked about his loft room, trying to find the solution.

Then, Hiccup's stomach turned violently as though there was a tornado whipping around my insides. Hiccup gagged, and jumped out of his bed, rushing over to a bucket in the corner, immediately disposing of his stomach contents into it. He dry heaved painfully, trying to keep himself from doing so.

It was then that Hiccup noticed Toothless standing behind him, nudging his arm in concern. Hiccup lifted a shaky hand and placed it on his nose, rubbing his sweaty hand over Toothless's dry, scaly nose.

"I-I'm okay, b-bud." he stuttered hoarsely. He leaned back against Toothless's neck, feeling absolutely miserable. He felt hot and sweaty, and he guessed that he was running a fever. Of all times to get sick.

Stoick had gone off on a fishing trip, leaving Gobber in charge. (Which, honestly, Hiccup thought was a horrible idea. Gobber was a horrible Chief Replacement.) Stoick had at first chosen Hiccup, but Hiccup protested, saying he was too busy keeping the dragons of the village under control to try and keep the people under control too. So, Stoick had switched it over to Gobber, instead.

But that meant that Hiccup was home alone- well, alone as in no other human was in the house. But he had Toothless- thank Thor-. Hiccup wasn't sure if he could get through being sick by himself, so was thankful for the company.

Toothless wrapped his tail and head around Hiccup's shivering body. Hiccup had felt roasting hot moments ago, but now he felt like he'd just left a steaming hot forge into the cold winter air. He'd known what that felt like. The sudden cold hitting a hot body wasn't a pleasant feeling in the least.

Hiccup shivered all the more, his teeth chattering uncontrollably. He could feel the sweat dripping down his forehead and into his eyes, and he quickly tried to swipe it away with his sleeve. The sweat was only making him colder.

Toothless cooed in concern, moving as thought to get up. Hiccup tumbled to the floor, moaning in pain.

"Pl-please… d-don't leave, T-Toothless." Hiccup stuttered through chattering teeth. Toothless either didni't hear, or chose to ignore him, because he took two running leaps before disappearing through the hatch in the roof out into the dimly lit world outside. "T-Toothess…" Hiccup whispered hoarsely. He rested his head back on the floor, curling into himself on his side. His stomach was twisting violently, making him want to cry from the pain. Not only that, but his leg was aching painfully. He hoped it wasn't a phantom pain.

Hiccup wasn't sure how long he lay there, shivering and sweaty on the floor. He thought about getting up and getting back into bed under the warm covers, but he finally decided not to, just because moving sounded too hard to do.

Hiccup blinked his eyes open when he heard a dull, _thud_ , against the floor boards. He moaned as he rolled over, blinking blearily up at Toothless. The dragon moved forward, licking Hiccup's face worriedly.

"Hiccup!" a voice shouted- one he knew well. He looked up past Toothless's face towards the open hatch, where blue sky could now be seen. It must be morning. Morning already… he didn't want to get up. He wanted to go to sleep.

Stormfly was perched on the edge of the hatch, where Astrid was now standing. She jumped down, dropping lightly onto the floor. She ran over to where Hiccup was lying, crashing to her knees beside him.

"Hiccup!? Hiccup, what's wrong? Toothless's was really worked up…" Astrid touched his shoulder, withdrawing it quickly. "Thor, Hiccup, you're burning up!"

"Where's Hiccup? Tell him to get his dufus moving so we can go for a flight!" Snotlout's voice carried down into the room. All the kids must be outside waiting for him. Hiccup had to get up. He had to go out and go on that training exercise they'd planned on doing…

Hiccup began to sit up, leaning back on his elbows heavily. Astrid immediately pushed him back down before shouting back, "He's sick! There'll be no flying today guys!"

There was silence, then several little _thuds_ before four faces peered through the hatch. "Woah, Hiccup's on the floor!" Tuffnut exclaimed, as though it was the greatest discovery ever.

"We can see that, Tuffnut!" Snotlout snapped back. He swung his legs over the edge, then dropped down to the floor, tripping over his own feet and crashing into the wall. The twins dropped down after him, Fishlegs falling and crashing to the floor face first.

Astrid refocused her attention on Hiccup, who had his eyes closed again, and was curled into himself on his side. "Hiccup? What's wrong? What hurts?"

"M-my s-stomach." Hiccup moaned. It hurt so bad. He'd never experienced an illness this bad before.

Astrid glanced past Hiccup and towards the bucket stashed beside the wall. She understood then. "Oh… Hiccup." She shook her head, then placed a hand on his forehead. "You're really warm, Hiccup."

"Th-Then w-why's it so c-cold?" Hiccup stuttered through his clattering teeth. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get them to just stop shaking.

"Chills." Astrid answered. She picked up his head and gently set it in her lap, brushing his sweaty bangs out of his face. She looked over at the others who were standing behind Toothless, none of them really certain what to do.

"Fishlegs, get rid of that bucket, rinse it out, and bring it back here as soon as you can. Bring a clean bucket with you and bring back some water while your at it." Fishlegs nodded, then scooted around Toothless to grab the bucket and hurry down the stairs.

She turned to Snotlout, "Snotlout-"

The boy held up his hands in a warning gesture. "Nope. Nahuh. No way am I going to get sick."

Astrid glared at him long and hard, not looking away at all. Hiccup moaned again, his hands tightening around his stomach. Only then did she look away from Snotlout's face, her eyes going worriedly instead to the boy on the floor.

"Snotlout, you will help, and you will do it nicely." Astrid said in a low, menacing tone. She glared back up at Snotlout, sending him a look that could kill.

Snotlout gulped and nodded meekly. "Okay."

"Woah, that was awesome. Do it again, Astrid." Tuffnut said, laughing slightly. Ruffnut chuckled as well, eyeing the now-timid Snotlout.

Astrid motioned for Snotlout to come closer. "Pick him up and put him in his bed." She stood up, gently placing Hiccup's head back on the floor. She went to the bed to make sure the blankets were still clean. She went and grabbed two more from a chest against the wall, spreading those over the shivering Hiccup who now lay on the blanket on the bed. He huddled underneath it, feeling absolutely pathetic. On any other day, he would've tried to hide his helplessness from his friends, but today, he was in too much paint to really care. His leg was shooting pain up his leg and into his hip. It was getting more intense with every passing minute. And shivering was only making it worse.

Astrid noticed how Hiccup squeezed his eyes shut, and his body went rigid. She rested her hand on his forhead, cringing at how warm he was. She hoped Fishleg's got back soon.

"What can we do?" Ruffnut asked, coming over to stand by Astrid's side. Her tone was surprisingly filled with concern, and she sounded sincere.

"Why don't you and Tuffnut make some broth? Bring Snotlout with you, you're all pretty good cooks."

Ruffnut nodded quickly, then she Tuffnut, and Snotlout disappeared down the stairs. Astrid sighed, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"How do you feel, Hiccup?"

Hiccup moaned in response, not bothering to open his eyes.

"What hurts? Is it just your stomach?"

Hiccup tensed again, and there was silence. Astrid couldn't even hear him breathing, which made her all the more concerned. "Hiccup?" she asked again, her voice strained.

Hiccup exhaled deeply, his breaths coming out in quick bursts of air. He wasn't shivering any more, but instead had begun to sweat profusely.

"Hiccup!?" Astrid persisted, shaking his shoulder slightly. Hiccup blinked his eyes open and glanced up at her. His eyes were clouded and glazed, but at least they were open. "Hiccup, what hurts beside your stomach?"

"M-my leg…" Hiccup whimpered, one of his hands moving from his stomach to grip his leg which was pulled up to his chest.

Astrid's eyes went wide. "Oh, Hiccup, is it a phantom pain?"

Hiccup paused, but then he nodded, his eyes squeezing shut again as his breathing grew harsher.

Just then, Fishlegs rushed up the stairs, carrying an empty bucvket in one arm, while in the other he carried a bucket sloshing water. "How is he?" Fishleg's asked, rushing over to the side of the bed to drop the buckets.

"He has a phantom pain. Plus, I think he has some sort of bug." Astrid turned back to Hiccup, feeling her heart break at the pained expression he wore. He whimpered hoarsely again, his eyes squeezing shut and his grip tightening around his leg.

"That's not good." Fishlegs said, as though Astrid didn't know that already.

"No. No it is not."

Hiccup's breathing grew harsh again, and he let out an almost scream. Fishleg's squealed in panic, hiding behind his hands. Toothless barked, rushing to the bedside and looking at Hiccup desperately. Astrid shouted Hiccup's name, then launched forward, picking up his upper body and setting him in her lap, rocking him back and forth. He calmed down to the point where he was only breathing heavily, but it was obvious he was in an extreme amount of pain.

The twins and Snotlout came charging up the stairs, their faces filled with panic. "WHAT'S WRONG?" they shouted frantically.

"Phantom pains!" Astrid responded, being forced to speak loudly so she'd be heard over Hiccup's heavy breathing.

The others stood around, just watching them as Astrid spoke soothing words, smoothing back Hiccup's hair or holding his hand. Hiccup calmed down a bit, and appeared to be asleep.

Astrid glanced up, her forehead beaded with sweat and her eyebrows scrunched up in a strained expression. "He's okay, go ahead and go back to doing whatever it was you were doing."

The twins nodded silently before turning around and heading back down the stairs quietly. Snotlout stood for a few moments longer, before following.

Fishlegs fidgeted nervously. "Is there anything I can do?"

Astrid paused. "Yes, can you go ask the healer if there's anything we can do for the pain?"

Fishlegs nodded. "I'll be back as soon as I can." He said before turning around and hurrying down the stairs.

Astrid sighed, and looked back down at Hiccup's face. It was covered in sweat, causing his bangs to stick to his forehead. His forehead was creased in pain, and he kept moaning quietly in his restless sleep.

Suddenly, his eyes flew open and he jerked into a sitting position. His hand gripped Astrid's arm tightly, as he said in a very shaky voice, "A-Astrid… I-I'm gonna…"

Astrid knew what he meant before he even said it. She jumped forward and grabbed the bucket off the end table. She wasn't a moment too soon either. Hiccup grabbed the bucket and immediately heaved into it, coughing violently once he was finished.

Astrid sat there, rubbing his back comfortingly, not really sure what else to do for him. She wished there she could help… but she couldn't.

Toothless lifted his nose to nudge Hiccup's knee, his eyes wide and almost completely black—that's how wide they were. He cooed in concern, looking from Hiccup to Astrid for an answer.

Hiccup leaned back weakly against Astrid's shoulder, letting his eyes slide closed. Astrid took the bucket from him, and set it on the floor.

"S-s-sorry." Hiccup said weakly.

Astrid shook her head. "No, it's fine Hiccup. You're just sick."

"H-h-hate to have y-y-you have to d-deal with…"

"No, it's just fine Hiccup. We're just taking care of a friend."

"F-friend?"  
Astrid nodded, a little smile playing on her face, although since Hiccup's head was leaning against her shoulder, he couldn't see it. "Yes, Hiccup. You know, friends. Where people help one another when they need it?"

"Ye-yeah but… I-I g-guess I-I'm just n-not used to h-having… f-friends."

Astrid's' heartstrings were tugged again as he said the words. It pained her to hear them. Oh, how she wished she'd taken the time to realize how… wonderful Hiccup was. So what if he was skinny, couldn't lift an axe, or didn't look like the other "standard" Vikings. He was smart, brave, sarcastic… really sarcastic. But she liked that about him.

"I'm sorry about that Hiccup. But we'll make it up to you. That's why we're taking care of you."

Hiccup closed his eyes again, his teeth clenching against whatever pain he was feeling. Astrid felt his body go rigid in her arms, and she hugged him closer to her, hoping to offer him some sort of comfort.

Hiccup hissed through his teeth, "Th-thanks…"

"Shh…" Astrid shushed, rocking back and forth.

Hiccup finally relaxed, but Astrid never stopped rocking or released him. She looked down after a time, seeing that Hiccup had fallen asleep.

Astrid laid him down on the pillow, pulling the blankets around his shoulders. Then she tiptoed down the stairs, leaving Toothless to watch him.

As soon as she came into view of the others, they jumped forward, anxious to hear the news.

"How is he?" Snotlout asked, and Astrid was surprised at how sincere he sounded. He sounded genuinely worried.

"Resting. His leg's really hurting him. I sent Fishlegs to ask the healer what we can do for the pain, but obviously, he hasn't returned." Astrid paused, then sighed, "I wish Stoick was here. He'd know what to do."

"But we'll take care of him." Tuffnut declared. "I don't know about you guys, but I'll stay here all day and take care of him!"

"I was planning on doing just that." Astrid agreed.

Ruffnut nodded. "It's the least we can do for everything he's done for us."

"So, we'll stay." Snotlout said decisively. "Until he gets better."

 **The end of this short story! Thanks for the requests and see you next story!**


	6. Little Lost Girl

**Title: Little Lost Girl**

 **Requested by: Nightfurylover1112**

 **Summary: When the gang are out exploring near the Edge, they come across a little girl who's lost her way.** **She is lost and scared but she refers to Hiccup and Astrid as mummy and daddy. So they both decide to play along just to make her happy while the others are laughing their heads off.**

 **Genre: Friendship, Humor**

 **Rating: K**

 **A/N: This is such a cute idea Nightfurylover1112! Thanks so much for the request. :D**

"Why are we out here again?"

Hiccup turned around to face the whiny Snotlout, "Because Tuffnut said he saw some strange dragon, and we promised we'd go looking for it."

"I think this is stupid! He probably never even saw a dragon. I bet he's just making it all up." Snotlout insisted.

Tuffnut shook his head, looking horrified. "What!? No, I saw it. So did Chicken." He held up the chicken in his arms for proof. "The dragon was large, fierce, fiery, deadly-"

"I don't really believe him either." Astrid put in. "He's really good at dramatizing things. I bet you saw a turtle or something, Tuffnut."

Tuffnut looked indignant. "It wasn't a turtle!"

Hiccup turned around again so he was facing the others once more. "Come on, guys. Don't argue. We'll find this… whatever, and get it all solved out. So just try to stay quiet."

The others fell silent as they followed Hiccup through the trees, keeping a sharp eye out for any signs of danger. It was midday, so it was beginning to warm up a bit, much to the Rider's relief.

"We've been out here for hours, and we haven't seen a thing." Snotlout said, turning to look accusingly at Tuffnut.

"Hey, this dragon's sneaky. I bet it know we're here, and it hightails it and runs and hides!"

"Then why are we out here looking for it?"

"Guys!" Hiccup shouted. The two teens looked up at him, each face looking angry. Hiccup sighed, and was about to say more when he heard a rustling in the bushes. Toothless's ear flaps stuck straight up and he turned his head, looking cautiously at a large brush.

Hiccup held out a hand to the others, gesturing silence. He moved forward slowly, Astrid following close behind.

Toothless didn't seem too worked up, but he did look curious. He bound ahead of Hiccup, jumping into the bushes.

"Ahhhh!" came a shrill screech. "Help me! Help me!"

Hiccup rushed forward, screeching to a halt when he saw Toothless standing over a little girl who was crying hysterically. Astrid stopped beside him, her face looking equally as shocked.

Toothless tilted his head to the side in confusion. He stepped back, realizing that he was probably scaring the poor girl. The little human jumped up, then looked about wildly. When her eyes fell on Hiccup and Astrid, she burst into tears again and rushed forward, banging right into Hiccup's legs and holding tight.

Hiccup held up his arms and looked down at the girl, not really certain what to do. Astrid's face was still filled with shock, although now it also had a pinch of amusement mixed in there as well.

"Don't let im urt me, Daddy." The little girl sobbed against his knees. Hiccup hesitated, then bent down to pick her up. She immediately clung to his chest, resting her head on his shoulder.

Astrid spoke softly, "The poor thing." She whispered, "She must be lost." She touched the little girls shoulder, rubbing it softly in reassurance. The little girl looked up at her, and sniffed loudly.

"It was gonna urt me, Mummy." She said, her voice no longer as raspy or whiny since she'd ceased her crying somewhat. "It was gonna eat me."

Hiccup gave a soft laugh. "That's Toothless. He won't hurt you."

Toothless stepped forward, nudging he girl with his nose. The girl gave a shrill squeak, staring wide eyed at Toothless. But when Toothless did nothing but smile gummily up at her, looking completely harmless and nothing like the ferocious creature he could was taken to be.

The girl sniffed again, then reached a hand out to touch Toothless's dry, scaly nose. She withdrew almost immediately, giving a little giggle when Toothless's breath tickled her hand.

"Did you train it, Hiccup? Or did it eat you?" came Ruffnut's voice from beyond the bushes.

Hiccup smiled to himself, shaking his head. He couldn't' believe Tuffnut had thought this little girl had been a dragon. "You guys have got to come here!" he shouted back. The girl in his arms jumped a bit at his loud voice, but calmed back down again.

The others made an appearance from the underbrush. Snotlout gave a gasp,

"Is that the dragon?" he asked in shock.

Astrid looked at Tuffnut. "Yes, it is. This is the large, fierce, fiery, deadly…"

"Alright, alright I get it." Tuffnut said, his gaze on a tree instead of Astrid.

"Who are dey, Daddy?" the girl asked, in what she probably thought was a quiet tone, when really it was a very loud whisper.

Fishleg's gave a little giggle, and Snotlout snorted. "Daddy? That girl thinks _you're_ her _daddy_?"

Hiccup glared at him, "I don't know why…"

"Will dey urt us, Daddy?"

Hiccup looked down at her, smiling softly, "No, they're our friends. They won't hurt you."

The girl turned to look at the others. She lifted a pudgy hand and gave a little wave. "Hello!"

Ruffnut waved back, while Tuffnut stepped closer, eyeing the girl. "Who is she? Where did she come from?"

Hiccup shrugged, "I don't know. Toothless found her here."

Everybody looked around, noticing that there wasn't a sign of life anywhere- well, besides them of course. Not another human being was in sight.

"Well, what do we do with her?" Snotlout asked impatiently.

"We should try and find her parents." Fishlegs said.

Astrid looked at him, "That seems pretty obvious, Fishlegs."

Hiccup looked up towards the sky. "Maybe I should fly Toothless up and see if I can see anything from up there."

Snotlout mimicked, "Yes, Daddy, I think you should go find my real parents for me, Daddy."

"Cut it out, Snotlout." Astrid said, giving him a sharp kick to his leg. Snotlout backed up, hopping up and down while holding his injured leg in his hands.

"Geez! I was just kidding!"

Hiccup untangled himself from the girl's arms, setting her on the ground much to her protest. She began crying again, letting out shrill screeches that made the Riders want to cover their ears to try and block out the horrible sound.

"Here! Here!" Astrid said, plucking the girl of the ground. She immediately quieted, letting out loud sniff's and hiccup's after her loud crying.

"Good grief!" Snotlout said in relief. "Kid's can sure be demanding!"

"Don't let me down, Mummy."

There was a beat, then Snotlout, the twins, and even Fishlegs burst into laughter. Tuffnut was even rolling around on the ground in his mirth.

"Ho, ho! Did she just call you MOMMY!?" Ruffnut cackled, her arms wrapped around her stomach in laughter. "Astrid… a mommy!"

Astrid glared at them. "It wasn't exactly my idea. She just started calling me that. It's not like I told her to or anything."

Hiccup climbed onto Toothless's back, making the girl fix her attention back on her "Daddy".

She held out her arms to him, "Don't weeve Daddy!" she cried, waving her hand at him.

Toothless looked up at Hiccup questingly. Hiccup sighed, then stepped back off.

"Snotlout, you go and take a look around the island. Look for any ships… or anything that might look like signs of life. Got it?"

"Sure." Snotlout then hollered for Hookfang, climbing onto the dragon once he arrived.

"Thank goodness he's gone." Astrid sighed in relief.

"Daddy!" the girl leaned towards Hiccup, holding out her arms. "Piggy back ride, piggy back ride!"

Hiccup hesitated, then ignored the twins laughing and took the girl in his arms. He positioned her on his shoulders, hanging onto her hands to keep her from falling.

"Yayayayayay!" the girl shouted in joy as Hiccup began walking about, not too fast so she didn't fall.

"You'd make a good babysitter, Hiccup." Fishlegs said in complement.

"Correction, Fishlegs. Remember, he's "Daddy" to her." Ruffnut said, still laughing hysterically.

"Faster! Faster!" the girl shouted. But Hiccup didn't speed up, he slowed down. He stopped completely when he came beside Toothless, swung the girl down off his shoulders into his arms.

"Daddy!" the girl giggled. "Piggy ride! Piggy ride!"

"How about a dragon ride, huh? Fun?" Hiccup asked, grinning down at the little girl in his arms.

The girl said nothing as Hiccup climbed onto the dragon, positioning her carefully in his arms. She turned to Astrid. "Come wid me, Mummy."

Astrid paused, then walked over, climbing on behind Hiccup. Toothhless leapt into the air, leaving the other still-laughing riders behind.

"Weeeee!" the girl screamed excitedly. Astrid laughed, peering over Hiccup's shoulder to look at the girl. She couldn't be any older than five years old, maybe younger. She had straggly blond hair that was matted into a thick braid on the top of her head. Her cloths were made from what looked to be rabbit skin. She was very small, and didn't go up much taller than Hiccup's knees.

Toothless craned his head so he could see the laughing face of the little girl sitting on his neck. He smiled gummily, crooning in joy. The little girl reminded him of Hiccup in a way, when he'd first flown on Toothless- that day they'd almost crashed into a bunch of sea stacks.

Astrid's eye caught something down in a small bay by the far side of the island- the farthest place away from the Edge. "Look!" she shouted, pointing towards it.

There were two small ships, plain and unadorned. They were- to the Riders surprise- Berk fishing boats.

Toothless angled towards the ships, and dashed towards them. He landed on the soft sand where the ships were docked, allowing Hiccup and Astrid to climb off.

There were nearly ten people on the beach, and they all rushed towards them quickly.

"Hiccup! Is that you?" somebody asked in the small crowd as they stopped before them. There were more men then woman, and there were only two other children in the group. One woman cried out and rushed forward, holding out her arms to the young girl.

The little girl cried out excitedly, holding out her arms to the woman. "Mummy!" she cried, gripping onto her mother's neck tightly when the woman snatched her away from Hiccup.

"Where did you find her?" the woman asked, her voice filled with emotion. "WE searched this entire beach, and we couldn't find her anywhere."

Hiccup gestured towards the middle of the island. "We found her down by our base. Well- Tuffnut found her first but he thought she was a dragon."

Some of the people groaned, although many wore smiles.

"Thank you, Hiccup, Astrid." The woman replied, grinning from ear to ear. She turned to leave, but the little girl screeched.

"NO! Daddy! Mummy!" she held out a hand towards them. "Toodless!"

Toothless tilted his head in surprise, smiling at the girl.

The woman set the girl on the ground, and the girl immediately dashed towards Hiccup and Astrid. Hiccup bent down and hugged her tightly, then the girl turned to Astrid, the two embracing as well.

The girl jumped down, placing a kiss onto Toothless's nose before dashing back to her mother, waving at them as she left.


	7. True Feelings

**Title: True Feelings**

 **Requested by: ReptileGirl497**

 **Summary: Astrid's leaving Dragon's Edge to join the Berk Guard. On the way back to Berk, Astrid finds a letter from Hiccup in her saddlebag confessing everything he's been wanting to say.**

 **Genre: Drama, Comfort, Romance**

 **Rating: K**

 **A/N: I loved this idea so much! Big THANK YOU to ReptileGirl497 for requesting this, because I'm gonna have so much fun writing it! Thanks again! I hope this is what you had in mind. :)**

Astrid woke up that morning, her decision final.

She was leaving.

She had yet to tell Hiccup and the others, and honestly, she wasn't really sure if she could. She was almost tempted to just leave a note telling them of her departure.

Life had been going along normally for them at Dragon's Edge. No problems or anything. Life had been totally laid back… completely normal.

And that was the problem.

She had thought that maybe… her and Hiccup's relationship would've changed a bit by now. Like, maybe they'd actually go out one time? Or… just something. Even if he got her a gift or something.

She had thought that maybe she should ask him out… but she really wanted to hear it come from Hiccup first. She didn't want to be the first one to ask, she wanted to hear it come from him. Besides, it was tradition for the guy to ask the girl, so she had settled for waiting.

But it had been four whole stinking months since they'd found Dragon's Edge, and Astrid was beginning to give up. She didn't want to stick around any longer. She didn't want to have to put up with the feels. She was beginning to get jumpy. She didn't want herself to blurt anything bluntly or embarrassing in front of everybody…

It was time to leave.

It was obvious that Hiccup thought of them as… friends. Friends, and that was all. No more, no less.

Just… friends.

Astrid pushed the rest of her cloths into the saddle bags, piling them onto Stormfly's back. She then set an empty one around Stormfly's neck for her snacks and water canteen. She'd have to pick those up at the clubhouse.

Astrid climbed onto Stormfly's back, nudging the dragon to take to the sky. It was still early in the morning, so not everybody was up yet. And she was fine with that. It made it easier for her to pack unnoticed.

All though it didn't really make a difference. She might as well tell them sooner than later- get it done and over with.

Stormfly landed on the platform outside the clubhouse with a loud squawk. Astrid shushed her, telling the dragon to be quiet.

"Shh girl. We don't want to wake anybody up."

"Astrid?" Hiccup's voice came behind her.

She nearly jumped out of her skin. See? She was extremely skittish lately… all the more reason to leave.

Astrid didn't bother to turn around. She continued to adjust the saddle silently.

"Where are you going?" Hiccup asked behind her.

She could hear the sound of his uneven walking stop not far from her. She glanced over her shoulder, quickly turning back around.

"Hiccup…" she started, gulping hard so she could just, spit the words out and get it over with. "I-I'm leaving."

"What!?" Hiccup exclaimed, his hand grabbing her shoulder. He twirled her around, so she was facing him. "What do you mean… leaving?" his face was filled with shock, and it made it so much harder for Astrid to tell him…

"I'm leaving. Back to Berk." She replied, her voice uncontrollably shaky. She cleared her throat, hoping that would help it somewhat.

Hiccup's expression didn't change. "Wh-Why, Astrid? When will you be back? Is something wrong?"

Astrid shrugged out of his hold, walking past him towards the clubhouse. "I-I'm not coming back, Hiccup. I'm going back to… join back into the Berk Guard." She didn't look at him. She couldn't.

"Astrid… why?" Hiccup's quiet voice came. Astrid crossed her arms, determined to stay firm.

"Why would you leave, Astrid?"

"Because… I… I just feel like it's the right thing to do."

"But what about the Dragon Eye? There's so much more to discover about it-"

"You guys can handle that." Astrid responded. "I-I need to go, Hiccup. This is just something I have to do."

"Please… Astrid, don't leave." Hiccup pleaded.

Astrid turned around to look him in the eyes, "Give me a reason."

Hiccup blinked for a few moments, "Uh-uh." He stuttered. "Well…"

Astrid nodded sharply. "That's what I thought." She whispered. "There's nothing here for me, Hiccup."

"Please, Astrid, we all need you. You're our friend… you can't just leave us."

US. He said _us_. Not _me_ or _I_. He said _us_.

"No. I'm sorry, Hiccup." Astrid said, turning sharply and disappearing inside the clubhouse. She didn't look back. She didn't dare. She thought that maybe she'd burst into tears, and display her feelings for him- which would be so embarrassing. Especially since now she was sure he didn't return those feelings even a smidgen.

She hastily grabbed the supplies she needed, gathering them in her arms. She filled her canteen with water, then headed back for the door, hoping that Hiccup had left. He hadn't, and was still standing beside Stormfly. He quickly backed away rom her dragon when she exited the clubhouse.

"Astrid… please, don't leave." He said again, his voice quiet and pleading.

Astrid headed to Stormfly, stuffing the stuff into the empty saddlebag around Stormfly's neck. "You can't change my mind, Hiccup." Yes, he could, but she wasn't going to say that. He could say, "I don't want you to leave" or something that indicated he had any feelings for her besides friendship. She would stay then.

But he didn't. He kept referring to their friendship instead.

She climbed onto Stormfly's back. "Tell the others goodbye for me… I'll see them the next time you guys come back to Berk."

Hiccup was silent, staring at the ground instead of her. "Astrid…" he quickly looked up. "I-I wish you wouldn't go…"

Astrid waited, wondering if he'd say more. "Why, Hiccup?" she asked, looking down at him.

Hiccup inhaled slowly, "You're one of my best friends, Astrid… my closest friend and I… I don't want you to leave."

Again. Friends. Friends.

Astrid stayed firm. She would just… leave. She had to.

"Maybe I don't want that?" she said softly. "To-to be… "just" your friend." Then, she nudged Stormfly's side, and the two took off into the air, flying quickly and steadily away from Dragon's Edge and all the people who lived there.

Astrid flew in silence for a long time, not saying a word. Stormfly didn't chirp, didn't make a sound. The two flew steadily for nearly an hour, not slowing down, still going at that reckless speed they'd left in. Poor Stormfly was exhausted, but didn't want to disappoint Astrid either, so continued flapping her wings crazy fast.

"Oh, Stormfly." Astrid sobbed, the tears streaking down her face, almost drying immediately thanks to the whipping wind around them. "I-I just…"

Astrid then leaned against Stormfly's neck, sobbing against the dragon's blue scales. She did that for… she didn't know how long. All she knew, was that she was there for a while.

She sat up, scrubbing at her face to try and get rid of the numb, tingling feeling it held thanks to her tears. She reached into her saddlebag to grab the canteen, then paused, her fingers coming across something thing and crisp.

She tugged it out, looking at it in confusion. It was a piece of parchment, folding up rather sloppily and all crinkled from its rough journey in her saddle bag. She tried to unfold it, but the wind roaring about her made it much too difficult.

"Slow, girl." Astrid said gently to Stormfly, which the dragon willingly did. Astrid finished unfolding the parchment, realizing that it was a letter. Her eyes went to the bottom of the page, and they widened once she realized what the name read.

 _Hiccup_.

Immediately, her eyes zipped back up to the top of the page, and she began to read.

 _Astrid,_

 _I honestly don't know how to tell you in words… I really don't. You know me, so I think you'll understand what I mean once your read the rest of this._

 _I've loved you for as long as I can remember. Even before we became friends. Ask Gobber. Every time you passed by the Forge I'd make puppy eyes at you and try to jump out the window to follow, but Gobber would grab me (literally) and snap me out of it. After the Red Death, and after you first kissed me once I woke up… I thought that maybe you liked me back… even just a little._

 _You were my best friend, and you made that point clear many times. You said it so often to Snotlout and the others, I finally just decided that that was what I was going to be. A friend. That's what you seemed to want. It sure did boggle my brain, because you kissed me two more times after that day I woke up… I guess I just have a hard time with this stuff._

 _But Astrid, I just want you to know, that I do love you. And… more than a friend. Even if you don't… you know… love me back (which I wouldn't blame you in the least if you don't) I'll be content to just stay your friend… if that's what you want and how you feel about all of this. I'm sorry if I embarrass you at all with this letter… but I had to tell you somehow, and since I know (you probably know this too, huh?) that I won't ever be able to tell you in real words without making an absolute fool of myself and making a mess of everything, I thought I'd give you this letter instead._

 _Astrid Hofferson, I love you._

 _Hiccup_

Astrid nearly choked on the cry of joy that momentarily left her scant of breath. So that was why Hiccup never told her he loved her. It had been her all along. She had made him think… in her attempts to try and well… hide her feelings… that she just wanted to be his friend.

But he did love her after all.

Astrid hastily folded the letter back up and stuffed into her saddlebag. She totally forgot about all thoughts of going to Berk. She was going back to the Edge to make things right with Hiccup.

Honestly, she wondered when Hiccup had actually written that letter. How long had he been carrying it around, waiting for just the right moment to give it to her? How long had it taken for him to finally get the courage to give it to her?

Astrid smiled to herself. It was hard not to. She was so happy right now, and nothing she could think about could change that- well except for the thought that the whole letter was a joke of some sort. But she highly doubted that. The hand writing was definitely Hiccup's. She recognize it anywhere. And he had continually been bringing himself down, listing things that were wrong about himself. It was his way for covering up for the stuff he said, and trying to say it without embarrassing her.

Oh, Hiccup. Astrid shook her head, laughing to herself. She couldn't wait to get back.

About an hour later, Dragon's Edge came into view. Astrid looked about the sky, wondering if she'd see Hiccup and Toothless flying, but she didn't see any signs of the Night Fury. They must still be back at the island somewhere.

Astrid dropped down on the platform before the clubhouse. It had been nearly two hours since she left, but still the others weren't up. It was their day "off", so they were probably all taking advantage of that and getting what extra rest they could. Besides, it wasn't much later than seven 'clock as it was.

"Hiccup!?" Astrid called out, poking her head inside the clubhouse door. No sign of him or Toothless. They must be out flying.

Astrid climbed back onto Stormfly, and urged her back towards the sky. The hovered above the trees as Stormfly glided slowly above the treetops, both girl and dragon keeping a careful eye out for any signs of movement. Finally, Astrid caught sight of a coal black dragon on the side of a rocky cliff close to the sea side. Stormfly noticed the dragon too, for she immediately headed in that direction.

Stormfly landed beside Toothless quietly, neither dragon's making a peep. Astrid climbed down, clinging to the letter tightly.

"Where's Hiccup, Toothless?" she whispered, and the dragon nodded his head down the path that wrapped around the mountain, much like rocky stairs. Astrid head up the path, wondering how in the world Hiccup had discovered this place.

Once she reached the top, she paused and smiled. There was a flat ledge that jutted out of the rocky cliff, covered in soft, short green grass. It hung directly above the ocean, so that Astrid could hear the splashes the water made against the rocks below them. The ledge was too small for a dragon, so that was the reason Toothless stayed behind.

Hiccup was sitting at the very edge of the ledge, his legs dangling over the side. He was staring off at the sunrise, his forearms resting on his knees while his hands were clasped.

Astrid stepped forward, purposely making noise so she wouldn't startle him. She didn't want to surprise him so he accidently fell of the cliff. Somehow, she could see him doing that.

Hiccup looked back, obviously surprised by being interrupted. His eyes grew large when he realized who it was, and what she was still holding tightly in her hands.

"A-Astrid." He stuttered slightly, pushing himself to his feet. He moved a few steps towards her, then stopped, looking unsure of what to do.

He eyed the letter in Astrid's hands, and that's when she snapped out of her daze, now able to speak.

"Hiccup…" she started. "Why didn't you just tell me? Or… showed me sooner? I would've stayed." She whispered softly.

Hiccup stuttered again, "I-I didn't know if-what you'd say. Or… what _to_ say honestly."

Astrid looked down at the letter again, then back at Hiccup. "I love you too, Hiccup. I have for… for a long time… but I thought… you wanted to be friends."

Hiccup's was at first full of joy, then confusion. "But I thought you just wanted to be…"

Astrid burst into laughter. "It was all messed up, wasn't it?"

The two quieted, then Hiccup spoke softly, "I meant what I said too, in the letter."

Astrid laughed quietly. "And I meant what I said. I love you, Hiccup Haddock."

Hiccup smiled goofily, "And I love you, Astrid Hofferson." Then, he kissed her.

 **So, what happens from here is they court up until HTTYD 2… since I don't know if they're engaged or not in the second movie. Anyways, just a cute one-shot for you real quick. Sorry this one took so long in coming.**

 **Till the next one! :D**


	8. Missing

**Title: Missing**

 **Requested by: Zoha Ven**

 **Summary: RTTE time-zone. Toothless goes missing, and Hiccup freaks out, worrying that he was captured by the Dragon Hunters. The others know why Toothless is gone, but want to keep it a surprise, so they try to keep Hiccup calm.**

 **Genre: Friendship**

 **Rating: K+**

 **A/N: Thank you everyone for the requests! I got all of them, and have added them to the list. Here is a list of the people who have requested stories that I'm still working on: Silverwolf (guest), Training to be a fangirl, Greatdivide101, SweetWritingIsMyLife, Nightfurylover1112. I'll get these stories done as soon as I can! Thanks again!**

Toothless tiptoed quietly past Hiccup's bed, down the stairs, and towards the door. But, since he was a big, heavy dragon, it was rather difficult to pass of as quiet. Every here and there a floor board would creak loudly under his weight, but since the cold winter wind was whistling outside, Hiccup didn't wake.

Toothless reached the door with a sigh of relief. He carefully nudged it up and open, wishing Hiccup wasn't so creative and would just stick with a normal, swing on-the-hinges-kind of door instead of a fold up one. Finally, he got it open, and was surprised by the burst of chilly air from outside. He hastily jumped out into the snow, turning around and sliding the door shut with his tail. He sighed once more, glad to had made it out without waking his human.

"Toothless!" Astrid's voice called out. Toothless turned about, blinking harshly when he saw her. He honestly couldn't tell if she was Astrid, or the twins, if she hadn't called out to him. She was bundled up in multiple furs, and wore a large fur hood over her head. She had a scarf wrapped around her nose and mouth, making her voice muffled. Toothless's eyes danced down to Astrid's extremely fluffy and furry boots. Whenever she walked, Toothless had to contain himself from jumping forward and trying to catch those furry boots in his paws. They looked like so much fun to play with!

Astrid stopped before the dragon, and her eyes looked nervously over at Hiccup's hut. "I don't know if this is exactly the best idea." She said quietly.

Toothless cooed, as though speaking to her, although she couldn't tell a thing he was trying to tell her. For all she knew, he could be saying "I love regurgitating fish in Hiccup's lap" or "I totally agree with you."

Astrid sighed, almost angrily, "The others actually think this is a good plan? Don't they understand how freaked out Hiccup's going to be when he finds out you're missing?" she looked back at Toothless.

Toothless cooed, then nudged her arm. Astrid knew what he was trying to tell her. He meant that they'd distract Hiccup for a while, try to keep him calm, until he got back that night in time for the "surprise". But Astrid remembered the last time Toothless had left, and how depressed, sad and downright scared Hiccup had been. She didn't want to see that happen again.

"Fine." Astrid finally said. "Just hurry, Toothless. Hiccup's going to just flip out when he finds out your gone, and I don't know how long we can keep him here without him going out looking for you."

Toothless gave her one last bark before turning around, and dashing down the snow covered wooden platforms that ran around Dragon's Edge.

Astrid shivered, wrapping her arms around herself to protect herself from the wind. February 29th, Hiccup's birthday, and it had to have the worst weather ever. Just their luck.

They'd been planning on taking Hiccup out to do something fun- like sledding or snowball fights or anything along that line. But they couldn't do any of those things today with the wind howling like it was, blowing and tossing snow about as though it were snowing, even though it wasn't. It was cloudy to, indicating that it might snow later on.

They'd probably be stuck inside all day. What fun was that?

Well, she did have to make a cake- with the help of Tuffnut and Fishlegs, since they were the top cooks. She'd oversee the preparations, making sure Tuffnut didn't make a mess of things like he usually did in the kitchen.

"Hey, Astrid. Why are you standing out there in the cold? It's freezing out here." Hiccup said from the open door of his hut. He slid it closed, locking it after that to make sure the wind wouldn't blow it open. "Looks like it's going to snow." He said, squinting up at the clouds.

The first thing that came to Astrid's mind was to say _"Happy 19_ _th_ _birthday, Hiccup!"_ but the plan was to make him think that they'd totally forgotten it was his birthday. It would be more of a surprise that night. So, she gulped down the answer, and simply replied. "Good morning, Hiccup."

She was happy he didn't seem to phased by Toothless's unappearance. Maybe he thought the dragon went out hunting. Sometimes Toothless would do that in the morning for a couple of hours, but he'd usually return not much later with a mouth load of fish to share with the others. Astrid groaned, not anticipating what would happen in a couple of hours when Toothless didn't return. Hiccup was not going to be happy.

It was then that Astrid actually took in Hiccup's appearance. He was bundled up, as she was, but his cloths were much different. He wore a large coat made from fabric instead of animal skin, and he also wore a hat instead of a hood. It was a strange looking thing- that hat. He'd made it himself, and it was very practical, but still looked a bit strange to Astrid, since she'd never seen anything like it. It was rather- square- not quite square, but not necessarily round either. It had these little square flaps that went over the ears, and had leather strings hanging from them, in case one wanted to tie them under the chin- which Hiccup never did. He just let the strings hang down, draping onto his coat. He also wore a heavy fur boot, although not as "fluffy" as Astrid's.

"Geez, it's freezing out here." Hiccup said, copying Astrid by wrapping his arms around himself. "Let's get to the clubhouse. The others up?"

"I'm not sure," Astrid replied, falling into step beside him as they tromped through the snow.

Hiccup nodded, "I wouldn't blame them if they weren't. It's cold enough to stay in bed all day."

So far, Hiccup didn't seem phased by the fact that she hadn't wished him a Happy Birthday. Either he didn't notice, or he did, but was just ignoring it, covering up for his true feelings once more. Hiccup had gotten very good at hiding his feelings, and it annoyed Astrid. She didn't like being left in the dark and not knowing what he was really thinking…

"Morning, Hiccup, Astrid!" Fishlegs called out from the clubhouse door. "Everybody's in here right now, eating some warm mushy stuff Snotlout cooked." Fishleg's leaned in closer to whisper, "I honestly wouldn't trust it, but we (the twins and I) thought we'd eat it so he wouldn't get made. Claims it's a family recipe."

Astrid groaned. _Please, don't let Snotlout have made an absolutely terrible meal to start this day!_ It was Hiccup's birthday for goodness sake! Even if they didn't wish him a happy birthday- at first- he deserved a decent meal.

They stepped inside, and Astrid sniffed the interesting smell wafting about the room. It wasn't as bad as she'd thought it'd be, but that didn't mean anything. She'd eaten some pretty horrible things that had smelled fine- just like how she'd eaten a lot of things that had smelled awful, but tasted good. You never could really tell.

Tuffnut and Ruffnut were practically inhaling whatever stuff it was they wre eating. It was rather disgusting watching them eat, since they liked to just slap it wherever on their face, gulping and slurping the meal down.

"Man, that's good." Tuffnut said, slamming the bowl on the table and wiping the back of his hand across his mouth.

"I want more!" Ruffnut declared, jumping up from her seat and rushing over to Snotlout, who was standing- looking quite proud- by a black pot.

He looked up as he poured the slop into Ruffnut's bowl, "Welcome, starving visitors! Take a seat and let Lord Snotlout serve you!"

Astrid face palmed, not certain why Snotlout was doing this.

Hiccup sat down, his face confused. Snotlout poured out three more bowls, setting them before Fishlegs, Astrid, and Hiccup. Astrid stared at it, finding that it didn't look appetizing at all. It was literally just… glop. It was grey and mushy, steaming hot. It kind of looked like it could taste like paste.

She picked up the spoon and took a hesitant bite, stopping when she realized that it really wasn't all that bad. She took another bite, not minding the meal at all.

"Hey, this actually tastes good, Snotlout." Hiccup complimented, taking another bite of… whatever it was.

Snotlout twirled his spoon, looking quite proud of himself, "Old family recipe."

Once Astrid was done, she was too full to have seconds, but she did tell Snotlout that she definitely would've had them, had she had room for more in her stomach. Snotlout beamed in pleasure, taking her bowl away to be cleaned.

Once everybody was done eating, and Astrid and Hiccup had cleaned up (they were the only ones who found pleasure in having a clean clubhouse) they huddled around the fire pit, passing stories and sharing memories about the fire. The wind was still howling fiercely outside, whipping at the walls and making the hut creak.

There was a lull in the conversation, until Hiccup spoke up. "I-I think I'm going to go out and see where Toothless went. He wasn't in my hut when I left…"

Everybody immediately became stiff, and uncomfortable. Astrid leaned forward,

"He saw him at the stables. He's probably there with the other dragon's, keeping warm." Well, she hadn't exactly lied. She had seen Toothless at the stables before, and she was sure that if Toothless had been there, that's where he'd be trying to keep warm.

"Guess I'll go say hi to him then-"

"No!" Astrid shouted, grabbing Hiccup's arm to keep him from going any further. She calmed down, letting her voice return to its normal tone. "Uh, I don't think you should go."

Hiccup looked at her quizzingly. "Why?"

"Um… because…?" she stuttered. She heard Snotlout face palm behind them, but she chose to ignore him.

Hiccup eyed her again, before continuing towards the door. "I'm just going to say morning and…"

"Hiccup!" Astrid shouted as he disappeared out the door. Everyone jumped up and raced after him towards the stables.

"Hiccup, no!" Astrid shouted again, but it was too late. Hiccup had already entered the stables.

He stepped out, looking over at them, "Where is he, guys?"

"Uhh…." Snotlout said.

"He's gone!" Tuffnut shouted, as though he'd made a great discovery. Ruffnut slapped her gloved hand across his mouth, muffling his voice.

Hiccup's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean, he's gone?"

"We woke up this morning and he was gone." Astrid filled it, hating it but knowing it would be better to just, get it over with. "I'm sure he went hunting or something. He'll be back in a while."

"He usually lets me know if he's going hunting, and he's usually back by now." Hiccup's voice was beginning to shake, and Astrid sighed, realizing that he was already beginning to panic. And a panicked Hiccup was someone she didn't like to deal with.

"Hiccup, I'm sure he's fine…" Astrid started.

"He doesn't normally run off like this!" Hiccup exclaimed, rushing past her and the others. "I have to find him! Can I borrow a dragon?"

Astrid stopped him again, gripping onto his arm. "No, Hiccup! It's too windy to fly."

"What if Viggo or R-Riker got him… knowing we couldn't fly during a snow storm and…" Hiccup rambled on, pacing back and forth, making a path in the snow. "What if he got stuck somewhere or is-"

"Stop it, Hiccup!" Astrid shouted. "He's going to be fine! Stop freaking out!"

"I'm not freaking out!" Hiccup shouted back. He quieted, and looked down towards the ground. "Sorry… I didn't mean to yell, it's just…" he looked up and out towards the distance. "I-I've got to find him."

Astrid wanted to tell him so badly that Toothless was fine and was just getting Hiccup a birthday present, but she knew that it had to be a surprise. Toothless would be back in a couple of hours, and everything would turn out okay in the end. She just had to deal with a panicked, worried, depressed Hiccup during that time…

"Hiccup, let's go inside and just wait for him. If he doesn't come back by this afternoon, we'll go out looking for him, alright?"

Hiccup nodded shakily, and Astrid reached out to touch his shoulder gently. "He's going to be okay. I promise."

"O-okay." Hiccup stuttered quietly. He tended to stutter a lot when he was upset, sad, or trying to cover up his feelings. It helped Astrid know how he was feeling, exactly, and she got the feeling he wasn't sad just about Toothless, but about them not realizing it was his birthday.

Next year, they were doing a simple birthday party, and nothing this strenuous! She'd probably get grey hairs from all this stress! Next year, she planned Hiccup's birthday.

"Come on." She pulled him towards the clubhouse. "We'll wait for Toothless there."

"I-I f-feel bad… Sh-should go o-out to l-look for him." Hiccup said shakily.

"Oh, stop it. He's a big, fierce dragon. He'll take care of himself! He's not a puppy."

"I know." Hiccup sighed. "But he's also flightless."

Astrid shut the door behind them, first allowing the others to enter. She shrugged, "Nah, he's still dangerous. He'll be fine."

Hiccup sank into a chair, staring at the fire worriedly. Astrid sighed, hating to see him like this. The others sat down around the fire, resuming conversation among themselves, while the twins were playing with Chicken.

Hiccup was shaking, from the cold or concern Astrid wasn't sure. But she moved a bit closer to him on the bench they shared. She didn't want him to feel totally alone and abandoned on his birthday, even if that was the goal in their plan. She just couldn't bring herself to do that to him.

She watched the window carefully, waiting for midday to come. Finally, it did, and she stood to make something to eat. They snacked on cold meat and smoked fish, still chatting. Fishlegs, Snotlout, and the twins played a game, but when they asked Hiccup to join them, he refused. Astrid did too, deciding she'd stay with Hiccup instead. She continued to watch the window, counting the minutes away until Toothless returned.

"He's not back yet." Hiccup said, his voice strained. "I-I think… could I borrow Stormfly?"

"Not yet." Astrid insisted. _Please, Toothless, please Toothless, get back soon._

The minutes ticked by, until an hour had passed. Hiccup made a move to move away and sneak out, but she noticed him, and called him back. She had to talk some more sense into him, telling him it was too cold and windy to be out flying. She was beginning to think she might have to tie him to a chair to keep him any longer.

She sat absolutely still in her chair beside Hiccup, waiting for any sings that Toothless might be there. Finally, she heard a scratching at the door.

Hiccup must've heard it too, for he immediately jumped from his seat, rushing over to the door. Astrid smiled to herself, gesturing towards the others to hurry up and get out the cake and gifts. She giggled, waiting for Toothless to come through the door.

"TOOTHLESS!" Hiccup shouted, launching forward and wrapping his arms around the dragon's neck. Toothless cooed happily, returning the hug.

Hiccup pulled back, scolding playfully, "Bad dragon, very bad dragon. If you do that to me one more time I swear…" Hiccup paused, looking closer at the dragon. "Do you have something in your mouth… again?"

Toothless cooed, then dropped the object out of his mouth and to the floor. Hiccup picked up the object, peering at it quizzingly. "Toothless, what is this?"

Astrid stepped forward, gasping when she saw the gift that Toothless had given his friend. It was a hunk of rock, rather jagged in some placed but otherwise just like any other stone. It was the size of a dinner plate, and had crude drawings across it.

There was a picture of a Nightfury, and the picture of a boy. Very hard to make out, but unmistakable none the same. It was then that Astrid realized that Toothless had drawn them- for Hiccup.

She hadn't known the Night Fury was an artist!

Hiccup stuttered, and looked back up at the grinning dragon. "Did you make this Toothless?"

Toothless grinned even more.

"Th-thanks, bud. Y-I thought it was forgotten…" Hiccup whispered as he hugged the dragon once more. Astrid felt her heart break. So, Hiccup had realized that nobody had wished him happy birthday. He'd felt like everyone- even Toothless- had forgotten.

"Hey." She said, causing Hiccup to pull away. The others stepped forward, Fishlegs holding a cake while the others all held gifts. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HICCUP!" they cheered.

Hiccup's face of shock was one that Astrid would never forget. Although she'd hated that day more than anything- because Hiccup had been so depressed- now it had well been worth the worry, because he looked so happy. He looked overjoyed more like.

"Guys… I thought." Hiccup stuttered.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, you thought we'd forgotten." Snotlout said, although he was grinning. "It was all a plan!"

"My plan, to be exact." Tuffnut added.

Snotlout scowled, "No, we all planned it, so don't try hogging all the credit for yourself."

Hiccup laughed, "Thanks… all of you! I didn't think you remembered."

"Well, we did." Astrid said, smiling broadly. "I wanted to tell you sooooooo bad. But those mutton heads said I had to keep quiet. Next year, I get to plan the birthday party… got it?" she directed her last statement towards the others, making them chuckle with declarations of "Nope! Nahuh."

Astrid pulled out a wrapped gift, handing it to Hiccup. "Open it! I've been wanting to give it you all day, so I just can't wait another minute longer."

Hiccup smiled at her, then began to pull away the strings that tied the leather hide around the object. It unfolded, revealing a leather chord with a black dragon's scale at the end.

"A sort of token- that scale is Toothlesses. That way he'll always be with you- even when he's no." Astrid paused, "Guess it would've come in handy today."

Hiccup laughed, puling the chord over his head before hugging Astrid tightly. "Thanks, Astrid. For everything."

Astrid returned the embrace, resting her head lightly on his shoulder. "Happy Birthday, Hiccup." She whispered.


	9. Is that Astrid's Singing?

**Title: "Is that Astrid's singing?"**

 **Requested by: Training to be a fangirl**

 **Summary: Hiccup's out flying when he hears the sound of singing- and who he finds doing it makes him twice as surprised.**

 **Genre: Romance, Friendship**

 **Rating: K+**

 **A/N: Haha, so in the RTTE episode, Tone Death, we all learn that ehhh… the dragon riders aren't that great at singing. A lot of people think Snotlout's the best, but I honestly find his singing noise rather whiny and annoying… XD If I had to pick it would be Heather, Tuffnut, or Hiccup. Hiccup wasn't too bad. With a little practice, he'd probably be pretty good! Anyone else agree? Same for Tuffnut. I think he'd be a hilarious singer. XD**

 **Anyways, we also learned that Astrid CANNOT sing worth a darn, but this was requested where she can sing. So I'm think that the reason she wasn't singing very well in Tone Death was because she was rather freaked out and worried, so didn't really focus on her voice, but just trying to make some sing-song sound at all. So, here you go… :D Sorry for the long A/N!**

Hiccup and Toothless glided above the trees smoothly, going for a nice relaxing ride after a hard days' worth of well… unrelaxing doings. Hiccup wouldn't say he really achieved anything, so he wouldn't really call it working, more like… keeping order. Making sure the twins didn't blow Dragon's Edge into oblivion, or that Snotlout and Hookfang didn't burn the place down. It was a very hard job, especially when the people your trying to watch don't listen to _a THING_ you say.

Heather had tried to help where she could, but they didn't really listen to her either. Nobody could get the twins to listen to anybody except themselves. And Snotlout's too stubborn to listen- not even to Heather! So, it had been a very nerve wracking day. Not to mention Astrid hadn't been around to help (her axe throwing skills and almost-karate-like-moves were handy to have around sometimes) since she'd been out on patrol. Hiccup had almost envied her, and had been tempted to tag along.

Now though, the twins and Snotlout were eating, complaining about being tired from all the chores Hiccup had made them do- which by the way they never actually did. They did so much complaining about them that they never really got them done. So Hiccup left Dragon's Edge in Heather's and Fishleg's care, knowing that he could leave knowing the place would be safe now that the three trouble makers were tuckered out.

Hiccup closed his eyes for a moment, letting the wind whip through his hair softly. He opened them again, looking towards the west at the sunset. The full sun was just touching the horizon. The sky had turned orange and red's, a hazy blue color towards the east. There were three sliver of clouds before the sun, making the view picturesque and just absolutely beautiful. Very peaceful and relaxing… just what Hiccup needed.

The sound of soft singing met his ears, and he sighed in pleasure. Hey, if he was so tired that he was imagining calming music that matched perfectly with the surroundings, he was going to take advantage it. He didn't care if he was going absolutely nuts at this point, he just relaxed, listening to the calming voice that sung the words.

He snapped out of his daze as the voice began to grow closer. He and Toothless were flying around a high cliff that jutted next o an even bigger cliff, beside the ocean. He listened closely to the words, giving a sharp intake of breath when he realized who's voice it was, and what song she was singing.

" _You've got a big heart, the way you see the world, it got you this far. You might have some bruises, and a few of scars. But you know you're gonna be okay…"_

Hiccup directed Toothless towards the voice, hardly believing what he was hearing. Was that really _Astrid's voice_?

That time with the Death Song, he'd heard Astrid's singing. And let's just say… well let's just say nothing at all. Her singing said enough… or what he'd heard anyways.

Her singing had been terrible.

So, this voice he was hearing, although it did sound like her, soft, gentle voice, he had a hard time believing it. He knew the song, called Something Wild, a traditional folks song, but he had never, ever heard Astrid sing it before- or any Hofferson sing any song before.

The voice continued singing, and Toothless's ear flaps pricked up, following the sound. Toothless dropped down on the top of the sea stack like cliff, where there were several trees, some brush, and short soft green grass. Hiccup climbed off, walking slowly and quietly towards Astrid, who was sitting on the edge of the cliff, her legs dangling over the side. Stormfly wasn't too far away, lying down on the ground beside a tree. She lifted her head when Toothless landed, but didn't make a sound.

 _"If you're lost out where the lights are blinding, caught in all, the stars are hiding. That's when something wild calls you home. Home."_ Astrid's voice was soft, slow and sweet. If Hiccup hadn't been standing right there, witnessing Astrid singing, he would never have had thought…. No. It was definitely Astrid's voice.

Her voice was beautiful. She was an amazing singer.

 _"If you face the fear that keeps you frozen, chase the sky into the ocean. That's when something wild calls you home. Home."_ Astrid's voice continued. Hiccup followed the words, mouthing them to himself. He loved the lyrics. It was one of his favorite songs.

When she paused at the end, Hiccup started up for her, in his not as good and nasally voice, _"Sometimes the past can, make the ground beneath you feel like a quicksand,"_

Astrid gasped and whirled around, staring at him with slightly horrified eyes, but Hiccup didn't stop singing. He wanted to hear her voice again, so continued with a slight smile, slowly walking closer to her.

 _"You don't have to worry…"_ Hiccup stopped beside her, holding out his hand to her. _"You reach for my, hand."_ Astrid finally smiled, and placed her hand into his, letting him pull her to a stand.

She picked up the lyrics once more, _"Yeah I know you're gonna be okay, you're gonna be okay…"_

Hiccup smiled, then took her other hand in his, singing softly, _"And even if you're scared-"_

 _"You're stronger then you know…"_ Astrid finished the line for him, smiling again. There was a pause, then Hiccup burst into song once more, grabbing Astrid's hands and swinging her around in the traditional folk dance.

 _"If you're lost out where the lights are blinding! caught in all, the stars are hiding, that's when something wild calls you home. Home."_

Astrid began singing again, her voice loud, yet soft, gentle and sweet, _"If you face the fear that keeps you frozen!"_

 _"Chase the sky into the ocean."_ Hiccup joined in, the both of them singing together now,

" _That's when something wild calls you home. Home._ " The last notes hung in the air made soft by the breeze. Hiccup and Astrid stilled, and it was then that Hiccup realized that he had his hand on her back, and her hand was placed on his shoulder. Astrid seemed to notice it too, for she stepped back, blushing a bit in embarrassment.

"I-I didn't know you could sing like that." Hiccup finally said, looking over at her.

"Well… me being the axe throwing warrior I am… I didn't know if people would expect it or think it silly… you know." Astrid said with a shaky laugh. "I guess I just saw the twins and Snotlout laughing in my mind… so have always kept it a secret. I don't sing often, only when I'm in a musical mood. Or if there's a beautiful sunset beckoning for a theme song." She gestured with her hand towards he sun that by now was half sunken past the horizon. Hiccup nodded, knowing what she meant. It was a beautiful night.

"You should sing more often… you're really good." Hiccup said, still looking towards the sunset.

"Thanks." Astrid smiled softly, letting it fade slowly. "You're not half bad either."

"Why, thank you, Astrid." Hiccup answered. "You're good at dancing too… why haven't you done any of these things before? Many Viking woman dance."

Astrid shrugged, "I-I guess I've never…" she paused, looking away towards the ocean, "really… found someone to dance with… before."

Hiccup's face broke into a smile. "Are you saying you like dancing with me?"

Astrid sighed, "I was trying not to say it… at least like that."

Hiccup laughed and grabbed her hands, "Then why don't we dance some more, milady?"

Astrid slowly let a smile cross her face, then she answered by singing, _"When you face the fear that keeps you frozen…"_

 **Ahhhhhh…. :D Hiccstrid. I just can't help myself. XD**

 **In case any of you are wondering what song they're singing, it's called "Something Wild" by Linsey Stirling and Andrew McMahon. It's awesome you should go check it out. Also, if you want to watch some awesome HTTYD videos, go check out these two youtube channels: JustLyz and theNightFuryfan95. Here's my favorite Hiccstrid video: Hιccѕтяι∂ Ƈняιѕтмαѕ Sρєcιαℓ (Sησggℓєтσg + Sєcяєтє O∂ιη!) It's not that Christmasy, so I watch it all of the time! Go check it out! :D**

 **See you next story!**


	10. What Cousins Are For

**Title: What cousins are for**

 **Requested by: SweetWritinglsMyLife**

 **Summary: Hiccup and Snotlout get captured by Alvin, and when Hiccup's hurt by a dragon he's supposed to train, Snotlout loses his temper and defends his cousin.**

 **Genre: Friendship, Hurt/Comfort**

 **Rating: K**

 **A/N: Does anyone else wish that they'd address the fact that Snotlout and Hiccup are cousins in the episodes? I'm still hoping they'll do that in future RTTE episodes. A lot of people don't even know they're cousins… I mean, I didn't until I started reading FanFiction. I really like interactions between Hiccup and Snotlout though, since I think Snotlout can be a loving cousin… it just takes something tragic that brings out the soft side in him.**

 **Anyways, enjoy!**

"This is all your fault, Hiccup." Snotlout grumbled as he stomped back and forth in the cell. "I swear, if you weren't' so good at training dragon's, this would never had been a problem."

"Sorry." Hiccup said, not really listening to what Snotlout was saying. He was putting most of his attention on how to escape this… cave… pit… whatever stone structure they were in. Definitely some sort of prison meant more for dragon's then humans, but at the moment Snotlout and Hiccup were stuck there.

And since it was built for dragon's, it was fairly big, and built so strong that Hiccup was sure that not even his father good break he hinges on the gate.

Hiccup was sitting on the ground, his back against the stone wall while he stared at the bars of their prison. Snotlout was up a and pacing from one wall to the other, stomping angrily as he went. He was fuming mad, but Hiccup could also tell he was worried and scared. Thankfully, Toothless and Hookfang hadn't been with them when they'd been captured, since Hiccup had insisted that they do a practice mission without their dragons. But still, they were in a very tough position. The others had no idea where they were- they probably didn't even know they were missing yet- and they were captive in a strong prison, which held no ways of escaping by force. They were stuck.

Snotlout stopped pacing, looking over at Hiccup expectantly. "Got a plan yet?" he asked,

Hiccup was silent for several moments, but then he shook his head sadly, "No. I-I just don't see a way out of this one… yet."

Snotlout sighed, "Great. I thought getting captured with Hiccup would be good. Why can't you come up with one of your Hiccup plans!? You always have a Hiccup idea!"

Hiccup cocked his head to one side, "I'll take that as a compliment, Snotlout."

"I don't care what you take it as! As long as you come up with an idea, and fast." Snotlout slouched onto the ground beside Hiccup, playing with a stick he'd found somewhere. "I'm to great to die." Snotlout moaned.

Hiccup rolled his eyes, smiling ever so slightly. Standard Snotlout. "Come on, Snotlout. Don't want to die the honorable death of slow, starvation in prison?"

"I'd rather die by fighting a fierce, blood-thirsty dragon or… something." Snotlout sighed, "To be known as a legend. Like Bork… or even Loki."

"He's a god, Snotlout…"

"I know, but the twins like him, and that's all I want. To be known and remembered as a great hero!" Snotlout raised a fist into the air dramatically. He let it fall into his lap limply. "Dying in a prison isn't exactly the way to gain that."

"Then try to think of a way to get out of here… and then you'll be known as the guy who escaped a dragon proof dungeon." Hiccup said, trying to get some help from his cousin.

Snotlout paused, then smiled gradually. "Hey, that doesn't sound bad at all. Snotlout, the great escape." He tested, smiling, "Not quite right. How about, Snotlout, the great dungeon defeater! Hmmm… yeah, I like that."

"Then think so you can earn it." Hiccup pressed on, still searching his brain for an idea.

The two fell silent for several minutes, each trying to figure out a way to escape.

Snotlout sighed, then stood up. "I'm back to my ranting. This is all your fault, Hiccup. I swear, if you weren't' so good at training dragon's…"

Hiccup looked up at Snotlout with a frown, "That's not going to help, Snotlout."

"Hey, it helps me. I just get mad sitting there, so I have to be mad at someone."

"Well, be mad at the wall then." Hiccup replied, fixing his gaze on the ground, trying to find some way… _anyway_ to get out of there.

Snotlout walked to the wall, and began talking once more. "This is all your fault, wall. I swear, if you weren't in the way, trapping us…"

Hiccup was about to tell Snotlout to be quiet, when he heard the sound of voices and footsteps. He turned to look towards the metal wall of the cell, his eyes narrowing when he saw that it Alvin and Savage who stepped before the door.

"Alvin." Hiccup hissed. Him saying that shut Snotlout up, causing the boy to turn from the wall to the door, his face fixing in an angry scowl when he realized who it was.

"Hiccup." Alvin replied with a slow chuckle. His face dropped to a serious expression. "You're coming with us."

Savage slid a key into the lock, opening the door with a click. Snotlout glanced over at Hiccup, an expression of worry and fear on his face.

"Take the other boy, too." Alvin commanded. Several soldiers stepped forward, each holding roped in their hands. One tied Hiccup's hands behind his back, another doing the same to Snotlout.

"Why do you want Snotlout? Why don't you just let him go? He doesn't train dragons." Hiccup lied only slightly there. Snotlout didn't train dragons, because he wasn't exactly great at it. But Hiccup was pretty sure Snotlout could… or at least with certain dragons. But Alvin didn't need to know that.

Alvin laughed again, stepping aside as Hiccup and Snotlout were led out of the cell into the hallway. "Just in case you need a bit of… eh, convincing."

Hiccup's heart skipped a beat. He knew what Alvin meant by that, he meant that if Hiccup didn't train Alvin's dragon's, Alvin would do something- such as injure- Snotlout in some way. Alvin had learned what Hiccup's weak spot was. He knew Hiccup wouldn't do anything that meant getting his friends hurt.

Alvin laughed again at Hiccup's expression. "I see I'm smart in that choice, ay, Hiccup?"

"Ouch! Geez, watch it." Snotlout grumbled from behind Hiccup. Hiccup glanced over his shoulder, catching a glimpse of Snotlout being led by two large bulky Vikings. Hiccup gulped, dreading what was about to happen.

They walked out of the hallway into a large cave with a large hole in the ceiling that revealed sky above, allowing sunlight to stream inside the dark interior. In the middle of the large structure was an arena- much like the Dragon Academy back home- only it wasn't as well made. It had a chain dome over the top, with a chain that connected to a pully in the ceiling, the other end connecting to the chain dome.

"What do you think, Hiccup?" Savage asked, a wicked smile on his face. Hiccup edged away from him, glaring at him harshly.

Alvin laughed, pushing Hiccup forward, "To the training arena, boy!"

Hiccup stumbled forward, catching himself before he could fall. He continued on, his face grim. He wasn't really sure what he was going to do. If he trained the dragon, he might have a chance to get out of there by riding it, but then again, Alvin's men were probably prepared to drag the dragon away as soon as it was trained, so then he'd be benefiting Alvin. But if he didn't train the dragon's, he and possibly Snotlout would get hurt. He didn't want to get Snotlout hurt.

Alvin stopped Hiccup before the large iron gate that opened into the arena. Hiccup gulped, his mind scrambling to find a solution to this problem while Alvin untied Hiccup's hands. As soon as the gate was open, Alvin shoved Hiccup inside, quickly slamming the gate shut behind him, bolting it with a heavy log.

"Train the dragon's, Hiccup, or you'll pay the consequences." Alvin growled. Hiccup gave a short exhale of breath. Maybe they wouldn't hurt Snotlout then. Maybe…

"RELEASE THE DRAGON!" Alvin shouted. Hiccup whipped his head towards a gate that was slowly cranking open.

And a giant Monstrous Nightmare burst from within it, jumping through the air out into the arena.

Well, it could be worse. He could've gotten a Speed Stinger, or a Smoke Breath, or some other dragon that he had a hard time training.

The Monstrous Nightmare ran around the arena, searching for a way to escape. Hiccup spun around as he watched it run about, analyzing the dragon carefully. It was a large female, big yet very scrawny looking. It had scars across its back and on its face from what looked like whips. Hiccup's chest tightened in anger, knowing that his dragon had been whipped… it made his blood boil.

The dragon- which Hiccup decided to name Scarlett, for obvious reasons- stopped, craning her neck to look at Hiccup. She stopped all together, just slowly turning her head to peer at the scrawny, unarmored and unprotected, weaponless boy in the middle of the arena. She hissed angrily, hating the scent of human's that filled the air.

It stepped forward slowly, trying to decide wether she wanted to claw or roast the human, but she stopped when the boy just stood there, staring at her.

Hiccup had decided, he'd let the dragon pick. If it wanted to be trained by him, then he'd train it. If it didn't act like it wanted anything to do with him, then he'd just… run and hope for the best.

The dragon sniffed hesitantly, then she shook her head, snapping towards Hiccup angrily. The boy jumped to the side, taking that as a sign that the dragon wanted him dead, and didn't want to be trained after all.

"What's he doin!?" Alvin shouted. Snotlout laughed.

"He's Hiccup… you never know with him."

Hiccup let out a shout when Scarlett shot a stream of fire in his direction. He narrowly avoided having his hair singed off, being forced to skid to his knees under the fire before jumping to his feet again, racing as fast as he could in the opposite direction.

Snotlout was beginning to get a bit worried. It was obvious to him now that Hiccup wasn't going to train the Monstrous Nightmare, but was going to try and wing it… hoping for better results than bad.

That idiot! What was he thinking? Just train the thing already!

"STOP THAT DRAGON! I DON'T WANT THAT BOY DEAD YET!" Alvin shrieked to his men, but the dragon in the arena was mad, and it wasn't about to deal with a bunch of soldiers. It roared loudly, directing its line of fire towards the top of the dome.

Scarlett focused her attention back on Hiccup, growling angrily at the boy.

Hiccup took off again, trying to avoid the dragon as best as possible. But his prosthetic caught a rough spot on the stone floor, causing him to stumble. In that mere second, Scarlett swiped a claw out, scraping it against Hiccup's back, causing him to totally freeze in shock and pain.

"NO!" Snotlout shouted in horror, as he watched Hiccup collapse to his knees, one o fhis arms going out to lean against the arena wall. Hiccup was going to die if those idiots didn't get that dragon under control.

The men were so distracted by all the drama that was going on, so Snotlout took that chance to dash away towards the gate unseen.

"Hiccup!" Snotlout shouted through the gate. The dragon was close to the gate, so heard Snotlout's shout. She swiped her head around, growling angrily at him. She turned, showing her large pointy teeth at the boy.

Snotlout rubbed his tied wrists against the rough medal, easily snapping them. Then he pulled the lever, causing the log to be lifted off the gate.

The gates swung open, and Snotlout charged inside. The dragon snapped its jaw, narrowly missing Snotlout's arm. Snotlout stopped, the dragon blocking him from reaching Hiccup.

Snotlout gulped, then laughed nervously. "Haha, high girl Hookfang. I-I'm not exactly great at training dragons… but I think I don't have a choice. So, I'll give it a try… just don't bit my arm off alright?"

The dragon huffed a breath of hot air against Snotlout's face. Snotlout closed his eyes, holding out his hand nervously.

He waited, wondering if this was the day he'd die. Well, this was a better death then rotting in a cell, that was for sure. Death while trying to train a dragon…

Then he felt a scaly nose press against his palm. He opened his eyes, giggling a bit histerically at his accomplishment.

"Yes!" He shouted, rubbing the dragon's nose. He decided he'd name the dragon Scarlett, since she had a large scar running down her snot… well, she had a lot of scars all over her body, so the name seemed fitting.

"Well done, boy. You might prove to be just as useful as Hiccup over there. Didn't know Berk had two dragon trainers." Alvin said behind them. Snotlout whirled around, his mind going back to his cousin at the mention of his name.

"Scarlett, keep him away from here and keep that gate open." Snotlout whispered too softly for Alvin to here, but loud enough for Scarlett to. The dragon immediately charged forward, snapping her jaws at the large Viking.

Snotlout dodged the dragon, running as fast as he could over to where Hiccup was lying. He crashed to his knees beside his cousin, rolling the boy over onto his back to try and wake him up.

"Hiccup!" Snotlout shouted, waving a hand in front of his face, garnering no reaction. He grabbed his shoulders, shaking them back and forth. "Hiccup! Wake up!"

Hiccup groaned at being jostled, and Snotlout felt sorry for trying to move him. He rolled Hiccup back onto his stomach, grimacing at the amount of blood that was seeping through his shirt.

"Geez, Hiccup." Snotlout said. He rolled him back over, not certain what to do. "Wake up, we got to get you to Berk."

Hiccup blinked, then opened his eyes. They were hazy, glossy, and didn't look like they focused quite right, which made Snotlout worry that much more. "Hiccup, I've got us a ride. But you have to get on Scarlett's back alright?"

"N-No… j-just…" Hiccup stuttered, coughing hoarsely before continuing. "d-d-don't th-think I c-can…"

"Sure, you can, Hiccup. Come on, I'll help you." Snotlout grabbed Hiccup's arm, wrapping it around his shoulder. Snotlout's other arm went around Hiccup's back, careful not to touch the injured area.

As soon as Snotlout stood up, dragging Hiccup with him, Hiccup hissed through his clenched teeth in pain.

"Sorry, Hiccup. Just… get to the dragon… alright? Then we'll get you home and taken care of."

Snotlout, practically dragging the half-conscious Hiccup, finally got them to Scarlett. The dragon was using her shot's sparingly, using her jaw and claws whenever she could. Snotlout hefted Hiccup up and tossed him onto Scarlett's back, rushing through the on slot of soldiers to the lever that lifted the dome.

The metal chain roof of the arena began lifting towards the ceiling of the cave. Snotlout climbed on to Scarlett's back, hanging onto Hiccup to make sure he didn't fall. Snotlout cringed again at the feeling of Hiccup's blood rubbing against his cloths. But at this point, he knew he didn't have time to find bandages. He just had to get Hiccup to Berk.

Scarlett leapt into the air, heading straight for the hole in the ceiling. Scarlett's wings pumped up and down, up and down, and then she folded them along her side and zipped out the hole into the fresh air of the sky.

Immediately nets began flying in their direction, and Scarlett had a hard time dodging them. But finally, they flew high enough where they were no longer in shooting distance.

Snotlout directed Scarlett towards Berk, then he focused on Hiccup. Every time Hiccup so much as moved, he'd cry out in pain. He was barely conscious, and Snotlout knew it was from the blood loss. And from the amount of blood that was on Hiccup's cloths was any indication, he'd lost a lot.

Snotlout pulled off his vest and began ripping it into shreds, hoping they'd work well enough for bandages. He then began wrapping them around Hiccup's torso, trying to stem the blood flow.

Hiccup groaned, blinking his eyes open groggily. "Whad appened?" he slurred, coughing afterwards. Each time he coughed he'd wrap his arms around his chest, as though it pained him. For all Snotlout knew, it probably did pain him.

"We're on our way to Berk."

"D-d-did-"

"Don't talk, Hiccup. You're just making yourself worse."

Hiccup quieted, his breathing raspy and deep. Finally, he said, "Thanks… Snotlout…."

Snotlout shrugged, although sinse Hiccup's eyes were closed he didn't see it, "Ehh, that's what family's for, right?"

Hiccup smiled faintly. "Yeah…. Guess…"

Snotlout wanted to lighten things up, so he added, "Besides, Astrid would've killed me if I'd let something happen to you, little cuz."

"Ye-ah… b-but… I-I'm o-older th-then y-you…"

"Yeah, but I'm definitely more mature then you."

"Wh-whatever y-you s-s-…"

Snotlout looked back down at Hiccup, sighing when he realized he was asleep- or unconscious. Snotlout wasn't sure. But either way, Hiccup was resting, and he guessed that that was a good thing.

Snotlout turned back to Scarlett. "Let's get him home."

 **So, was it just me, or did anybody else really like it in Stryke Out where Snotlout was there when he accidently trapped Hiccup and Toothless? I don't know I guess maybe I just like a worried Snotlout? I don't know, but I really LOVED that episode.**

 **Thanks for the feedback everybody, and for those who have followed my other story, "Of Training and Captures" I'll update soon, I promise!**


	11. Forgotten Part 1

**Title: Forgotten Part 1**

 **Requested by: Greatdivide101**

 **Summary: Hiccup takes a hit to the head, resulting in him losing his memory to the time when he was 14 years old.** **Astrid takes care of him during that time, while Snotlout feels guilty.**

 **Genre: Friendship, Hurt/Comfort**

 **Rating: K-T**

 **Time-Line: Race to the Edge**

 **A/N: Sorry Greatdivide101 that this took so long to do! And yes, this will be a Part 1 and Part 2, because I think this'll be a bit longer then my standard short stories so far. So, yeah! Enjoy and thanks for your patience and the request! :D P.S. this takes place during RTTE. Yeah, I like RTTE time zone a lot. :)**

* * *

"Why do we have to build a store house already? Winter isn't for a couple more months!" Snotlout asked in a whiny tone. He looked over at the others, who were already dragging logs towards the building spot.

"Because, Snotlout. Just in case winter comes early, and because it's a good thing to have around." Hiccup answered, wishing Snotlout wouldn't complain as much. It didn't seem to matter what they did, somehow, he always ended up complaining. It never seemed to fail.

"It seems like a whole lot of wasted work to me. Why not just store food in the clubhouse?" Snotlout asked again, not budging from his seat on the ground where he leaned against Hookfang's side.

Hiccup turned to him, letting a sigh escape his mouth, "Snotlout… just get over here and help get wood, alright?"

Snotlout looked at him, and he just stared at Hiccup for a couple seconds before sighing and looking away. "Fine…" he whined as he pulled himself to his feet. "But I still think this is a stupid waste of time…"

Astrid rolled her eyes. "Snotlout, will you ever do something _without_ complaining?"

"He's Snotlout. He doesn't know how not to complain." Tuffnut answered for her. The twins were each dragging a log behind them, while Barf and Belch also had two logs in their mouths.

"I for one, think he has whinemonia. Where he's infected by the disease where he can't stop whining. He was born with the disease I think." Ruffnut stated thoughtfully.

Snotlout glared at her. "That's not funny." He snapped.

Tuffnut snorted, as though to say otherwise.

Hiccup held out his hands in a calming gesture. "Okay, guys. That's enough. Snotlout, you come with me and help cut trees."

Snotlout grumbled as he crawled onto Hookfangs back, complaining the entire time. Hiccup and Toothless took to the air, leaving the others on the ground. Hiccup landed not very far away in a thick spot of trees. Here they'd cut down a bunch of the trees, then the others would come and drag them back to their building sight.

Toothless shot a plasma blast at a tree, sending it toppling to the ground. Hiccup walked over, using an old battle axe to chop of the smaller branches while Toothless plasma blasted the larger ones. Once they cut them off, they piled them into a large pile. They'd burn those once they were all done.

Hiccup turned around to look at Snotlout, who was still on Hookfang just watching him and Toothless work. "Going to help out, Snotlout?" Hiccup asked, more like a statement then a question.

"Oh, fine." Snotlout grumbled he climbed off of Hookfang, directing his dragon over towards a tree. "Slice, Hookfang!" Snotlout ordered.

The dragon hit the tree with his tail, snapping it into two and sending it toppling to the ground. Hiccup nodded in satisfaction, "Nice job!" he called out to his cousin and his dragon.

Snotlout beamed, "Yes, of course. That's all I do is a nice job. Isn't that right Hookfang?"

Hookfang glared at Snotlout, then turned his back to him.

"Only one tree, Snotlout?" Astrid's voice called out from above. She landed beside the newly felled tree, shaking her head. "The twins and Fishlegs are heading back this way. We need about eight logs for the next load."

"I've got four done." Hiccup said, walking over to his and Toothless's small stack. "Toothless, plasma blast!" Hiccup pointed towards a tree, which Toothless immediately shot at, the tree crashing to the ground. Hiccup set to work on it while Snotlout and Hookfang continued their hard work.

Snotlout looked quite pleased with himself for taking down a very large tree. "Snotlout, Snotlout, oi oi oi!" he exclaimed, fist pumping. Hookfang hissed irritably from behind him, lighting himself on fire slightly. Snotlout loved hogging all the credit.

"We need one more smaller one!" Astrid called out as the twins walked away with their load Fishlegs and Meatlug were picking theirs up, while Hiccup and Toothless finished up another tree.

"Hookfang, slice!" Snotlout directed towards a small tree. Hookfang hissed angrily, turning around sharply to face Snotlout, Hookfang's tail accidently whacking a small tree.

Astrid whirled around, about to scold Snotlout, when she stopped in horror. She heard herself scream, "HICCUP!" but it was too late.

The tree toppled over, landing directly on top of Hiccup who was currently working on a tree. Toothless shrieked as Hiccup disappeared, the tree covering him.

"HICCUP!" Astrid screamed, jumping of Stormfly's back to the ground, stumbling slightly before racing to the tree.

Toothless was already tugging it away, revealing Hiccup crumpled on the ground beside the tree he'd been working on. It looked like the tree had broken most of the other falling tree, but still it had landed directly on _Hiccup_.

Astrid collapsed on her knees beside him, not really sure if she should touch him or not. If he'd suffered spinal injury, then it was better to leave him still until they could get help from someone who knew how to deal with that type of stuff.

But they didn't' have a healer, so Astrid decided to take her chanced by pulling Hiccup into her arms, holding him close to her, her head against his chest as she tried to find his heartbeat. She held her breath, her heart pounding in her ears as she tried to find his heartbeat.

She finally found the quiet- yet steady _thump, thump_ of his heart. She exhaled deeply, giving a little giggle in relief. Toothless cooed, his worry evident.

Fishlegs knelt down beside her. Astrid hadn't even noticed he was there until he sat beside her, so she looked up to see Hookfang, Snotlout, and Meatlug all staring at her and Hiccup in concern. Snotlout even looked a bit guilty… but she'd deal with him later. Right now, she had to make sure Hiccup was okay.

"I can hear his heart." Astrid said shakily. She pulled away from his chest, her breath hitching her throat when she noticed the blood that was covering Hiccup' forehead, his hair sticky with it. She quickly looked over the rest of his body, searching for any signs of more injuries. She didn't see anything right off, much to her relief.

Fishlegs leaned forward. "His head…" he whispered in horror. "Look at all that _blood_."

Astrid immediately took charge. "Snotlout, get the water canteen from the saddle bags and the bandages. NOW!"

Snotlout reached into Toothless's saddlebags, digging through them hurriedly before pulling out the water and a roll of bandages. Astrid took the water first, dunking it over Hiccup's head in attempts to try and wash the blood away so she could see the wound. The water puddled underneath his head, a dirty red color. There was so much blood….

And what made it worse was that Hiccup didn't stir once. Even when some of the water dribbled down over his closed eyelids he didn't wake. He remained unconscious.

"Oh Hiccup." Astrid whispered as she continued to poor the water over his head. No matter how much she washed, more blood seemed to appear. She needed to find the wound and see how bad it was.

She set the canteen aside, then began prodding through his hair to try and find the cut. When she found it, her heart plummeted. It was deep, wide, and the worst part about it was…

She could see bone. She could _see_ , Hiccup's _scull._

No wonder it was bleeding so much. The cut had gone all the way to the bone…

"Oh my gosh." Astrid whispered hoarsely. She launched into action, knowing she had to stop the bleeding. She grabbed a handful of the bandages and pressed them tightly against Hiccup's head. Again, he didn't move.

"What!? What is it?" Fishlegs asked, trying to see what she'd been so shocked at.

Astrid turned and said shakily, "I-I can s-see…" she gulped. "We need Gothi. Snotlout, you go get Gothi from Berk, and you'll hurry. If you don't get back within eleven hours, I'll kill you… I mean, I will literally-"  
"I get it, Astrid!" Snotlout interrupted before she could finish. He turned around and climbed onto Hookfang's back. "I'll go get Gothi." Then, he and the dragon disappeared into the air, heading for Berk.

Astrid returned her focus to the unconscious Hiccup, wondering what she should do. She supposed they should get him in bed, he couldn't just stay out here in the forest. She removed the cloth for a moment, grimacing at the amount of blood that stained it. She quickly grabbed another one, pressing that to the wound then wrapping bandages around his head until the wound was completely covered in multiple layers. She sat there for a minute, just holding him close to her and whispering soothing words, wondering if he could hear her in his unconscious state.

Fishleg's cleared his throat, "I think we should get him back to the Edge, Astrid…"

Astrid nodded, her voice still shaky as she spoke. "I know, let's… let's get him onto Stormfly. It'll be faster."

Toothless cooed softly when Astrid stood up, hauling Hiccup up with her. She draped his arm around her neck holding onto it so it wouldn't slip off. Then she wrapped her other arm around his back, supporting him. She dragged him for most of the way before she reached Stormfly. There, she climbed onto the dragon, Fishleg's handing Hiccup up to her afterwards.

Stormfly took to the sky, while Fishlegs climbed onto Meatlug. Toothless started running quickly back to the Edge since he didn't have a rider. On their way, Astrid caught sight of the twins by the work sight, so she paused to tell them what was going on.

"Guys!" she shouted. The twins looked up at her quizzingly. "Hiccup's hurt! We're taking him to his hut, so you guys can keep working without us!"

The twins waved their hands in acknowledgment, then Astrid and Stormfly continued, Stormfly heading directly towards Hiccup's hut.

As soon as they landed, Astrid jumped off, dragging Hiccup with her. Fishlegs landed not a moment later, scrambling off so he could help her.

The finally got Hiccup inside and up the few stairs to his bed. She laid him down on top of his blanket, going to grab another one to spread over him. Fishleg's pulled off his armor as quickly as possible- which wasn't very fast since he didn't know how to un do all the buckles. Finally, with a little help from Astrid, they had his armor off so he could rest a bit more comfortably.

And during the entire process, he didn't stir. Not a flutter of his eyes, not a moan of pain- nothing. He was completely limp and lifeless- except for the steady rise and fall of his chest.

Another thing that had Astrid worried was the fact that he was so pale. His auburn hair against his pale skin only made it look worse. He looked almost white- that's how pale he was.

Astrid touched his forehead, wondering if he'd get a fever. But his forehead was cool and at a healthy temperature. She sighed in relief, thankful for that much.

Fishlegs touched the bandages wrapped around Hiccup's head. He looked at Astrid, "Why did you send for Gothi, Astrid? Is it that big?"

Astrid nodded, pausing then continuing. "I-I could see…" she gulped, "I could see his skull, Fishlegs. That wound is deep, and he lost a lot of blood…"

Fishlegs paled as she spoke, and he began to shake. "Oh-Oh my…" he whispered. "You could see _bone?_ "

Astrid nodded shakily. She didn't like it either. His wound was deep, long and dangerous. She was beginning to wonder if he had a concussion… maybe that was why he wasn't waking up.

Astrid's heart quickened as she realized… if Hiccup did have a concussion, and he was unconscious…

He might never wake up.

She hurled that thought out of her mind completely as soon as soon as she thought it. NO. Hiccup would be fine. He'd wake up and everything would be totally fine.

She just had to keep telling herself that. _Everything would be fine, everything will be fine…_

 _Hiccup won't die_.

Astrid and Fishlegs stayed at his bedside for a couple more minutes, before Toothless barged into the building. The dragon raced up the stairs, panting heavily when he reached the bed. The dragon pushed past Fishlegs, cooing worriedly when he saw his rider. The dragon dropped his head down beside Hiccup's hand, letting out a huff of breath.

Fishlegs began walking towards the stairs. "I-I think I'll go and help the twins. Let us know if anything changes?"

Astrid nodded. "I will. Thank you, Fishlegs."

Fishlegs smiled slightly before racing down the stairs and dashing out the door.

Astrid sighed, and looked back at Hiccup's face. He was still unconscious, his eyes still closed. His breathing was regular, and didn't sound strained. Astrid was extremely thankful he hadn't suffered from any rib or lung damage. It seemed that his head was the only thing to take the hit.

An hour passed, before Astrid thought she saw him move- if just slightly. She stopped what she was doing- and that included breathing- as she stared at him, waiting. Hoping that he was really waking up.

Hiccup rolled his head to the side, moaning in pain. Toothless lifted his head a little, his eyes growing wide in excitement.

Astrid leaned forward, shaking Hiccup's shoulders slightly. "Hiccup?" she asked quietly. "Hiccup, wake up."

Hiccup groaned again, and then his eyes fluttered. Astrid smiled, then shook him again. "Wake up, Hiccup. Come on." She said, a bit louder this time.

Hiccup's eyes slid open, and he blinked up at her in confusion. His eyes were slightly clouded, but he looked aware. He stared at her for a moment, looking utterly bemused.

Astrid's smile disappeared, "Hiccup, what's wrong?"

Hiccup blinked again, "Wh-Where am I? Wh-who are you…?"

Astrid's joy disappeared instantly. For a second, she thought maybe Hiccup was just fooling with her, joking. But he was dead serious. He stared at her with totally confused eyes, in bewilderment.

"Hiccup…" Astrid said slowly. "It's Astrid, Hiccup. Why don't you recognize me?" maybe his vision was a bit blurred- hazy. Maybe he couldn't see her properly.

But his eyes looked clear now. And he looked completely aware.

"A-Astrid?" he said hoarsely. His eyes went wide. "Wh-why d-do you l-look so… different? L-last time I-I saw you…" Hiccup stuttered horribly as he spoke, and he seemed to notice it to for he stopped to clear his throat. "Y-you l-look s-so… different…" he muttered. His eyes fluttered, and for a moment she thought he'd fall asleep again.

"No, Hiccup! Stay awake!" Astrid called to him, shaking his shoulders slightly.

Hiccup's eyes jolted open and he stared at her. His expression turned to one of panic.

"Wh-why are you in here? Wh-why are you t-taking c-care of m-me at all? Y-you've n-never even t-talked t-to me…" Hiccup's voice turned into a whisper at the end, and he blinked drowsily.

Astrid's eyes widened. What was wrong? Why did he think she looked different? Why didn't he recognize her? Why did he think she shouldn't be taking care of him? It's not like Stoick or Gothi were there to do it, and the others were no help. Why didn't he realize that?

 _And why did he think she had never talked to him?  
_ "Hiccup…" Astrid started. "Hiccup, don't you… I talk to you all the time. What- why?" she stuttered.

Hiccup shook his head with a moan, "N-no you d-don't. Y-you l-like f-fighting d-d-dragon's… and I d-don't, wh-which i-is wh-why we d-don't t-talk… r-right?" he was so drowsy, but she could tell he was aware of what he was saying.

But then, it hit her.

Hiccup didn't remember her.

Hiccup didn't remember his own hut.

Hiccup still thought she liked fighting dragons.

What was going on here?


	12. Forgotten Part 2

**Title: Forgotten Part 2**

 **Requested by: Greatdivide101 (now Wildatheart843 due to username change)**

 **Summary: Hiccup takes a hit to the head, resulting in him losing his memory to the time when he was fourteen years old. Astrid takes care of him during that time, while Snotlout feels guilty.**

 **Genre: Friendship, Hurt/Comfort**

 **Rating: K-T**

 **Time-Line: Race to the Edge**

* * *

"Hiccup." Astrid said. "Hiccup, don't you remember?"

"Remember what?" Hiccup asked, looking at her. "What are you doing here?" he repeated in confusion. The tone he used tugged at Astrid's heart strings, and she wished so badly that she could help clear things up for him. But she wasn't sure where to begin.

Toothless took that moment to move. He lifted his head and cooed gently at Hiccup, nudging his hand slightly.

Astrid was totally unprepared for Hiccup's reaction. He let out a shriek before jerking back from Toothless, scooting across the bed in attempts to escape the dragon's touch.

"HICCUP!" Astrid shouted, reaching forward to grab him. But she was too late. Hiccup slipped off the bed and onto the floor, yet he didn't stop scooting further away from poor Toothless. The dragon had stepped onto the bed, and was looking at him sadly. Toothless turned and looked at Astrid, his eyes full of bewilderment.

Astrid knelt down beside the shaking Hiccup, grabbing him and pulling him into her arms, hoping to calm him somewhat. "Hiccup, calm down, that's just Toothless. You do remember Toothless, don't you?"

"A-Astrid…" Hiccup stuttered. "Th-there's a d-d-dragon i-in h-here." He paused, then looked up at her, "Wh-why aren't- aren't y-you attacking it? K-killing it…" his voice trailed off into a pain filled whimper, his hands going up to clutch his head. "Head.." he whispered. "h-hurts…."

"I know it does, Hiccup." Astrid replied gently. She had no idea what to do. Hiccup didn't even recognize Toothless… how bad was this amnesia?

Hiccup quieted, and he said quietly, "Wh-why d-do… wh-why a-are y-you h-hugging me? Y-you d-don't l-like me… re-remember?"

Astrid suddenly felt the need to cry. Hiccup thought she didn't like him. Oh no. This was… this was terrible. How she wished they'd never decided to build that storage house. Oh, how she wished…

"I-is th-this a d-dream?" Hiccup whispered hoarsely. "C-cause… i-it sure f-feels real."

Toothless stepped forward, his head quirked to the side in question.

Hiccup stared at him, his breathing growing harsh and erratic again. "I-is h-he going to h-hurt us?"

Astrid shook her head, "No Hiccup. He's… he's your dragon, Hiccup. He's Toothless. You named him Toothless, remember?"

Hiccup shook his head, "N-no… I don't." he paused, then looked up at Astrid. "Is this a tr-trick?" he asked thickly. "Is Sn-Snotlout and the tw-twins trying t-to fool me or somethin'?"

Astrid shook her again, "No. Hiccup, let me explain what happened."

She paused when she saw his eyelids flutter. They slid closed, and his breathing evened out as he fell asleep again.

Astrid didn't have the heart to waken him, although she knew she probably shouldn't let him fall asleep. It could be dangerous- especially since he suffered from a possible concussion.

Astrid stood up, and with a bit of help from Toothless got him back into bed. She pulled the blankets back over his shoulders, smoothing his bangs out of his face before sitting back down on her chair, waiting for him to wake up or for Snotlout to get back- which ever one came first.

Astrid glanced about the room, realizing that she'd only been inside Hiccup's hut a handful of times. And she had always been on the main level, never up here in the loft.

Hiccup had a small wooden table/desk pushed against one wall where multiple papers were scattered. She noticed many drawings and sketches pinned to the wall around it, many of them of Toothless while other ones were Dragon Eye maps or drawings of the new dragon's they'd discovered.

Astrid looked down at Hiccup, then looked at Toothless who was lying down beside the bed. She stood up, and walked over to the desk, looking up at the pictures on the wall. She wasn't surprised to see how many there were of Toothless, but she was surprised to see one of Stormfly. Actually, there were several drawings of Stormfly- every single one different. Astrid's favorite out of all of them was the one where Stormfly was cuddled up in a ball, her snout tucked under wing and tail folded around herself. It looked just like Stormfly when she was sleeping.

Astrid's eyes moved down off the wall to the desk. She noticed a bunch of papers scattered about it- many of them, if not all- were drawings of the Dragon Eye and it's maps. But then she saw a brown leather hide book in one corner, half hidden by papers. She pulled it out, puzzled that it had no title.

She opened it, finding more drawings of Toothless. She smiled at some of the positions he was in- one was where he had his rear end up in the air, while he was waving a paw at a butterfly. She flipped through the pages, finding more drawings of Toothless, Stormfly, Sharpshot, and many other dragons.

Astrid flipped a page, and stopped. On that page was a drawing of her, next to Stormfly. The drawing was incredible. It was so lifelike- more so then the other ones. Astrid could hardly believe someone could draw this. It looked like she and Stormfly could leap of the page at any moment.

Astrid smiled, then ran her fingers over the drawing. To think Hiccup had drawn her. He hadn't drawn any of the dragon riders- only her. It brought a warm feeling to her chest, and she smiled softly at the drawing.

"Dad…" came a low moan from behind her. Astrid dropped the book back onto the desk, and hurried back over to Hiccup.

"Hiccup." Astrid said, sitting back down in the chair beside the bed. She grabbed his hand and held it tight. "I'm here Hiccup, I'm here…"

Hiccup's eyes were still shut, his head rolling from side to side. "Dad…" he moaned loudly. "Dad… it hurts…"

Toothless sat up, his eyes filled with concern for his friend. He rested his head under Hiccup's hand in a reassuring gesture. To Astrid's surprise and glee, she saw that Hiccup began to rub Toothless's head- just like he'd done many times before.

"Dad…" Hiccup said again, then he blinked his eyes open. He stared up at Astrid, his eyes filled with confusion for a moment before recognition. "Astrid?" he asked.

Astrid laughed, happy that he recognized her. "Yeah, I'm here, Hiccup."

Hiccup looked down at Toothless who still had his head under his hand. "Uh…" Hiccup stuttered, removing his hand. Astrid's joy disappeared, and she realized that Hiccup still didn't remember…

"Hiccup, do you remember who he is?"

Hiccup paused, and he appeared to be thinking really hard. He shut his eyes for a moment, then they flew open again. "Toothless." He breathed. "H-his names T-Toothless…"

Toothless cooed happily, wagging his tail in delight. Hiccup placed his hand back on the dragon's head, rubbing it gently.

Astrid sighed, "Do you remember anything else, Hiccup? Do you know where we are?"

Hiccup looked confused. "No…" he said slowly. "B-but I'm gonna guess… we're on B-Berk?"

Astrid's face fell. She'd thought maybe… "No. No we're on Dragon's Edge, Hiccup. Remember? You're the one who came up with the name."

Hiccup's look of confusion remained, then he shook his head, moaning when he did so. He lifted a hand to grip his hair tightly. "I-I don't remember." Hiccup groaned.

Astrid sighed. "What do you last remember… completely?"

Hiccup began to push himself up into a sitting position, and Astrid moved forward to help him. She didn't think he should be sitting up yet, but she let him, knowing that it was pointless to argue stubborn Hiccup.

"I-I remember… a fire. Dragon attack, and Fishleg's house was destroyed. That's what I last remember… everything else is just… blank."

Fishleg's house had been destroyed. Why, that had been years ago! About four years … Hiccup would've been _14_ …

Gosh, so much had happened wince he was fourteen! Toothless, the outcasts, his and his father's relationship, them being friends now… everything had changed.

He was looking about in confusion, obviously boggled. But he was still petting Toothless- so it was a relief he remembered that. His memory seemed to be returning- a bit slowly but returning all the same.

"Okay, well Hiccup." Astrid took a deep breath. Hiccup looked at her expectantly, his green eyes bright in confusion, "You're eighteen now. We all are, and we live on an island at this base we built called "Dragon's Edge"."

"We..?"

Ah, yes, he didn't know that he was friends with everybody yet…

"Yes. You, me, Fishlegs, Tuffnut, Ruffnut, and Snotlout. We all live here with our dragons." Astrid gestured around the room to their surroundings. "And we're all really good friends now. You're like our leader."

Hiccup's eyes widened, "Wh-what?" he stuttered.

Astrid held out her hands to calm him down. "Yes, I know it might sound crazy to you right now, but yes. You're our leader and the best dragon rider and trainer out of all of us- out of the whole of Berk actually." She added.

Hiccup shook his head slowly. "No… I mean, I couldn't… you guys don't like me."

"Yes, we do Hiccup. You're our best friend now."

Hiccup still looked disbelieving, but Astrid continued. "So, we found this Dragon Eye- you came up with that name too- and we're trying to unlock all the maps it holds. Dagur and the Dragon hunters keep trying to take it too."

"Dagur?" Hiccup asked. "I-Is he our enemy now?"

Astrid nodded. "Yes. He's also the chief. He… killed Ozwald."

Hiccup blinked at her, "I knew he wasn't any good." He mumbled drowsily.

Astrid smiled softly, then a thought popped into her head. "Do you need anything? Are you thirsty or hungry?"

Hiccup closed his eyes and shook his head. "Nuh… not hungry…"

"I'll go get you some water. I don't want you getting dehydrated." Astrid said, standing up quickly to go and get it. She heard the sound of movement behind her, and whirled around to see what it was.

"Hiccup!" she shouted, realizing that he was trying to follow her. "I'll get the water, you stay in bed!"

Hiccup tossed the blanket off of him, a protest on his lips. Amnesia or no amnesia, Hiccup was still the stubborn, selfless person.

But then, he froze, staring down at his legs. Astrid realized too late that she should've made sure he stayed in bed.

He didn't remember losing his leg.

Hiccup looked up at her in shock, his eyes wide and unbelieving. "What…" he started. Then he began breathing heavily, "A-Astrid… m'leg." He gasped. "Wh-what happened?"

Astrid rushed back to him, all thoughts of getting him water fleeing her mind. Right now, she just wanted to hold and comfort Hiccup. It must feel like reliving it all over again- that terrible feeling of a limb just… not being there. He didn't remember it… oh how Astrid wished he'd just remember!

She sat on the edge of the bed, then pulled him in an embrace. At first, he didn't return it, but then he wrapped his arms around Astrid, returning the hug.

"A-Astrid?" Hiccup questioned again. "Wh-why- H-how?"

Astrid pulled away, "It happened about three years ago, Hiccup." She explained gently. "Before you hit your head today… you've gotten used to it. It never bothers you anymore… well, at least as far as I know. Toothless?"

Toothless cooed in agreement, nudging his head under Hiccup's arm to comfort him. Hiccup took in a shaky breath, then leaned back against Astrid.

"E-even th-though I don't re-remember it… I-I'm re-really glad y-you're h-here and m-my fr-riend." He stuttered quietly.

Astrid hugged him back, smiling softly to herself. "I'll always be your friend, you know that right?"

"N-not r-really…" came the answer.

Astrid just gave a little laugh, rubbing Hiccup's back reassuringly, "I'm sorry this happened to you, Hiccup. Once Gothi gets here, I'm sure she'll have the solution."

Hiccup sighed, "I hope so…" he whispered. "My head really hurts…"

"I know it does." Astrid hugged him closer, wishing she could make his pain go away all together. A few moments later, she heard his breathing even out, and knew he was asleep. She laid him back down, once more pulling the covers over his body.

"Watch him, Toothless." Astrid instructed the dragon. Toothless nodded before sitting beside the bed, his eyes watching Hiccup intently.

Astrid trotted down the stairs then hurried out the door, grabbing a bucket on the way. She'd get that water she'd originally set out to get for Hiccup in case he woke up again before Gothi got there.

Fishleg's stopped her on her way to the well, "How's Hiccup?" he asked worriedly.

Astrid paused, "Not good. Well, he woke up, but he doesn't remember anything- well almost anything- since the time he was fourteen. He didn't even remember what happened to his leg. At first he didn't recognize Toothless, but he did the second time he woke up."

Fishleg's eyes went wide in horror. "Oh, no that's not good." He said. "Hopefully Snotlout gets back soon."

Astrid nodded before turning and hurrying on her way, "I hope so too." She agreed.

When Astrid returned to Hiccup's hut, he was still asleep. It had been six hours since Snotlout had left, so they still had another five- six hours to go. Astrid hoped Hiccup remained coherent that long… she didn't know if he had a concussion or not, but either way she knew he needed medical attention as soon as possible. He was in a lot of pain.

Hiccup woke up nearly three hours later, complaining softly that his head hurt terribly. To Astrid's relief, he remembered the entire fiasco with the Red Death, which relieved Astrid to no end. She was so happy he was remembering things… with every passing hour things seemed to come back to his memory.

Finally, long after it was dark out, Astrid heard the sound of dragon's landing outside the door. She raced down the stairs, swinging the door open to allow Gothi and Stoick. Stoick's appearance startled Astrid a little, but by no means surprised her. She should've known Hiccup's father would've come.

Snotlout hung back, as though fearing what he'd see. Astrid looked at him, before shutting the door and heading back up the stairs behind Gothi.

"How is he?" Stoick asked worriedly. Astrid lead them to Hiccup's bed, where Toothless was still sitting. The dragon lifted his head off the side of the bed, cooing happily at the sight of them.

"He's in a lot of pain, and he has a bit of what I think is temporary Amnesia. The shocks seems to be wearing off, and his memory is slowly returning." Astrid quickly explained. "When he first woke up, he didn't remember anything from the time he was 14 years old to now. So… it was a rough couple of hours at first… especially with Toothless and his leg…" Astrid let her voice trail off, not bothering to finish he sentence.

Stoick sat down beside Hiccup, taking his son's hand in his. Astrid stood beside him, watching Gothi as she began examining Hiccup's eyes and mouth- for reasons unknown to Astrid.

Then, the old healer began peeling off the bandages wrapping up Hiccup's head. When she came to about the fifth layer, spots of blood were seen.

Stoick looked up at Gothi in worry. "Gothi?" but the old lady just continued to unwrap the bandages, carefully peeling off the last layer.

The wound was difficult to see amidst Hiccup's thick hair, but Astrid still caught sight of it, and the sight made her want to gag. It looked worse than before, for now it was swollen and puffy. Thankfully though, she didn't see white as she'd seen before. She couldn't see bone anymore.

Stoick gasped in shock, and Astrid notice him tighten his hold on Hiccup's hand. "Oh, Hiccup." He whispered.

Gothi hastily pulled out a needle and thick thread from her leather bag, and began to thread it. Astrid gulped, wondering if Hiccup would feel it or not. He probably would- in which case she didn't want to be there to see it. She couldn't stand seeing him in pain.

Gothi moved forward, gesturing for Stoick to hold Hiccup's arms. Stoick did as he was told, but watched Gothi's hands with alert eyes, as did Toothless beside Astrid. Everyone was staring at the wound, holding their breaths and waiting.

Gothi was quick, so it only took a matter of seconds before she had the wound sutured up. All Hiccup did was moan and groan occasionally, much to everyone's relief.

"Will he be okay?" Stoick asked the question everyone was wondering. Gothi nodded with a smile. Then she gestured to Hiccup's eyes, making a strange movement with her hands.

"I'll get Fishlegs." Astrid said, hurrying down the stairs and out the door. She and Fishleg's rushed back inside, and Gothi began writing on a pile of sand spread on the floor.

"She says that his eyes are clear, so his amnesia is only temporary. He should regain all his memories by tomorrow evening at the latest." Fishleg's declared happily. "He's going to be just fine."

"Thank Thor." Stoick breathed.

Hiccup stirred, causing everybody to stare at him once more. He blinked his eyes open, starting when he noticed everybody gathered around.

"H-Hi, guys." Hiccup said slowly.

Everybody smiled and Stoick shook Hiccup's shoulder lightly. "You had us worried, lad!" he exclaimed.

"S-sorry. Wh-what happened? How long was I a s-sleep?" Hiccup stuttered looking about.

"Only a couple of hours. We've patched you up and Gothi says you're going to be okay." Astrid answered excitedly.

"O-oh… that's g-good." Hiccup said quietly. He paused, then looked at Astrid with a smile, "Wh-what happened t-to the st-store house?"

Astrid froze, except for the smile that was growing wider and wider across her face. "Hiccup! You remember!"

"Y-yeah… most of it…" Hiccup muttered sleepily again. "Wh-why so tired?"

Gothi began writing again, which Fishleg's quickly translated. "She says you should rest. It'll help."

Everyone stood and began filing outside, except for Stoick and Toothless. Hiccup was talking with his Dad about something, but Astrid was too far out of ear shot to hear what it was.

Astrid smiled before stepping outside, so happy Hiccup was okay. She stopped when she noticed Snotlout standing there, looking quite concerned. "Is Hiccup alright?" he asked.

Astrid nodded, "Yeah, he'll be fine. He's going to be in bed for a while though."

Snotlout didn't say anything for a few seconds, "Can I go in and see him?"

Astrid looked back towards the door. "Yes, but he might be asleep by now…"

"Oh." Snotlout replied, "Well, at least I'll go in and see him. Thanks, Astrid."

Snotlout stepped inside, closing the door hesitantly behind him. He slowly walked up the stairs, trying to figure out what to say. How to apologize… somehow.

Snotlout stopped when he saw Hiccup, noticing how absolutely horrible his cousin looked. Snotlout paused, thinking that maybe Hiccup was already asleep as Astrid had said.

"Snotlout?" Stoick asked, causing Hiccup to start and blink his eyes open. "What is it?" Stoick asked, his tone unreadable.

"I-" Snotlout started, "I just wanted to talk to talk to Hiccup, but if he's asleep I'll come back-"

"No…" Hiccup said, pushing himself up. "I-I'm awake, Snotlout."

"Oh." Snotlout took a deep breath, "I'm really sorry, Hiccup. For not listening to you and not helping and everything. I promise it won't happen again." He rambled on, trying to get it over with as soon as possible. He eyed Hiccup, not blaming him in the least if he chose to not forgive him.

"It's okay, Snotlout. It was just an accident…"

Snotlout snapped his head, relief filling his being. "Really?"

"Course…" Hiccup's eyes fluttered shut, and his breathing evened out.

"Get better soon." Snotlout said, then he turned around, and left.

 **Ick I'm so so bad at endings! I mean, I'm literally terrible at them. I've got to work on it…**

 **But I've been working on this on and off for the last four hours… trying to get it just right. And I still didn't accomplish it! Oh well… I tried my best.**

 **Thank you to Wildatheart843 (originally usernamed Greatdivide101) for requesting this, and sorry if this isn't what you expected.**

 **Here's a list of people who have requested stories but I'm still working on them:**

 **Silverwolf (guest), Nightfurylover1112, CoverGirl7210, and ReptileGirl497.**

 **Thanks for the requests guys! See you in the next story!**

 **YOU'RE ALL AWESOME! ;)**


	13. The Zippleback Experience What-If

**Title: The Zippleback Experience What-if**

 **Requested by: CoverGirl7210**

 **Summary: What if Barf and Belch were discovered by the Dragon Riders and were knocked out so they couldn't come to Hiccup's rescue? It's up the Dragon Riders to find and rescue Hiccup before it's too late.**

 **Genre: Tragedy, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort**

 **Rating: T**

 **Time-Line: Race to the Edge**

 **A/N: So, I wasn't sure what genre to put this under, so I just added all the one's I thought would work. I almost put adventure to, but I left it out just because I had too many already. :D NOTE TO: Nightfurylover1112. I am going to do your request but I want to make it a longer story, so I'll post it separately, and not on HTTYD Requested Short Stories. It also might have to wait until I'm done with Of Training and Captures. Sorry for the wait!**

 **Thanks everyone, enjoy!**

* * *

Hiccup paused, looking about suspiciously. It would be just his luck if Barf and Belch had followed him. Didn't anybody understand what "alone time" meant!?

He looked specifically at a bush, but before he go and investigate, a cloth was tossed over his head, somebody pulling him in the bush.

Hiccup groaned, so sick and tired of the twins attempts to get Barch back. "Really guys?" he asked a he felt himself being tied, his hands behind his back while more rope wrapped around his chest. "What did I say?" he said again, writhing in the person's grip. "Seriously, this isn't going to work!" he shouted, suddenly feeling himself lifted up and tossed on his stomach over somebody's shoulder.

"Seriously!?" Hiccup repeated, continuing to struggle and try and free his wrists. He was surprised by how tight they were tied. "Guys, seriously put me down!"

He heard a very familiar roar- one that only belonged to Belf and Barch. Hiccup sighed. Well, maybe this plan would be more helpful that not. If Barf and Belch figured he was in really danger, then maybe they'd rescue him and everything would return to normal…

But there was a horrible sound of a click from a cross bow, then a heavy thud that sent fear through Hiccup's heart. What had happened? A _crossbow!?_

"Guys?" he asked hesitantly. There came a grunt, then a low voice.

"Tie it up. Don't want it following us." The deep voice said close to Hiccup's ear. And it was not at all the voice of the twins. No, this was the gravelly sound of an older man, one that Hiccup didn't recognize.

"Done. That should hold…" came another voice, further away and more muffled. Hiccup held his breath, waiting to hear what would come next.

But they were moving, running through he forest, and it was then that Hiccup realized that this was a real capture, not a fake one.

Hiccup immediately began kicking and writhing, making it as difficult as possible for the man to hold onto him. He wiggled his wrists, trying to free them from the ropes that tied them, but it was no use.

"Let go of me!" Hiccup shouted, kicking whoever was holding him in the stomach with his prosthetic. The man grunted, then he grabbed Hiccup's legs and gripped them tightly so he could no longer move.

Hiccup writhed some more trying to somehow escape, but it was no use. He stopped struggling, decided that he'd just wait and see where he was being taken.

He gradually began to hear more voices, but they were low and whispery, so that he couldn't hear them with the cloth over his head. He felt himself tossed onto the ground, his back against a pole. He shook his head, trying to get the cloth off.

It was suddenly whipped off his head, and he breathed easier. He hadn't realized how stuffy it was in that bag until he was given fresh air again. He looked up, his eyes narrowing in hate at who he saw.

"You're our prisoner, brother." Dagur giggled hysterically, "Brilliant plan, hm?" he continued to giggle annoyingly, while Hiccup glared at him.

"What do you want?" Hiccup growled, his eyes switching from Dagur to Ryker who stepped forward menacingly.

Dagur began pacing back and forth before Hiccup, "We're going to extract every piece of dragon knowledge from that tiny coconut shaped noggin." He stopped and bent down so he was looking eye to eye with Hiccup. "We're going to use you to take us to every island that Dragon Eye has led you to."

Hiccup paused, then answered, "And if I don't?"

Ryker shoved Dagur aside, pulling out a jagged sword in the process and aiming it at Hiccup's throat. "Oh, ho, I hope you don't." he said darkly, staring into Hiccup's eyes.

Hiccup stared right back, not offering any comment for several moments. The two just stared at each other, each look filled with hate. "I'm never showing anything to you." Hiccup answered calmly.

"Oh, yes you will. Or else, you're a dead man." Ryker replied, moving the sword from Hiccup's neck to his stomach. Hiccup gulped, not entirely sure how to answer.

He inhaled deeply before saying, "No. I'm still not showing you _anything_." He emphasized the last word, hoping he made his point clear. "I'd rather die than have you hurt hundreds of dragons."

Ryker shrugged easily, "Well, that can certainly be arrange." Then, he raised the sword, and Hiccup squeezed his eyes, preparing himself for the blow he was sure would come.

Pain exploded in Hiccup's abdomen, and his eyes flew open as he gasped in pain. He looked down at the sword that was protruding from his stomach, feeling woozy at the sight of all the blood. His mind was jumbled, and he couldn't think straight. He looked back up at Ryker, seeing that the man wore an evil grin.

Ryker placed his foot on Hiccup's shoulder, then jerked the sword out, the sound grating in Hiccup's ears. He heaved, bending over nearly double as he felt over sideways. The pain was unbearable, and it was quickly working its way to claim his vision. Hiccup opened his eyes, everything a blur of darkness. His hearing had left him long ago, and now the only thing he could hear was the sound of his harsh breathing, which seemed to be growing weaker.

The pain came stabbing, every second seeming to get more agonizing. Hiccup screamed, not able to contain he sound. The pain was too great. He'd never experienced anything like this before.

Then, the blackness consumed him, and his eyes slid shut, the sound of his breathing echoing in his ears.

…

Astrid walked towards the clubhouse door, a crate of food in her arms. She paused when she noticed Toothless sitting at the edge of the platform. Fishleg's stepped up beside her, and she turned to ask, "What's Toothless doing here?" she heard Toothless give a low growl, which made her all the more puzzled. Usually Hiccup and Toothless went out on an evening flight at this time, so she was surprised to see him here.

Before Fishleg's could answer, the twins raced up, Ruffnut asking "Have any of you seen Hiccup?" she asked worriedly.

Fishleg's replied, "I thought he was with you two."

Ruffnut shook her head angrily, "No, he bailed on us and guess who's gone too?" she crossed her arms, "can't trust anybody."

Tuffnut nodded in agreement. "They're probably out there, having the time of their lives. Blasting everything in sight. Remember when random destruction was our thing?"

Ruffnut nodded, wiping away an imaginary tear. "Yeah, seems like yesterday,"

"It was. It actually was."

Astrid began to feel concerned. She turned back to face Fishleg's and Snotlout, "Something's wrong. If Toothless is here, and Hiccup's not…" she let her voice trail off. "Let's go out and search around for Hiccup." She finished firmly. She turned back to the twins angrily. "You two should be on patrol-"

"Hey! We don't have a dragon to patrol _on_!" Tuffnut replied.

Astrid shook her head before setting down the crate and walking over to where Stormfly was standing. She jumped on, picking up her axe and holding it threatingly. "Come on. Let's go and find Hiccup."

The others hurriedly followed suit, climbing onto their dragon's and taking to the sky after her.

The twins stood there for a moment, before giving a sideways glance at Toothless. Tuffnut gave a sneaky smile. "Hey, T, howya been?"

Toothless looked over at them, his eyes growing wide as he realized what they planned to do.

Astrid and Stormfly flew quickly around the edges of the island, searching for any sings of Hiccup or the twin's dragon. Astrid shook her head as she looked about. Nothing.

Then, her eyes caught hold of the sight of a ship, sailing a little way from the island, but still in sight. Astrid began to worry, concerned that Hiccup and Barch had been captured.

"Guys! Over there!" she pointed towards the ship, which was getting harder to see thanks to the darkness that was falling. "Dragon Hunters!"

She immediately headed for it, she and Stormfly flying as fast as they could. The ship steadily grew closer, and Astrid didn't hesitate. Even if Hiccup and Barch weren't on that ship- which she had a strong feeling that one of them were- they'd attack it. They wanted nothing to do with the hunters, and destroying a ship of theirs would be a good thing to do.

Astrid turned around, "Snotlout, Fishlegs, distract the men for me while I get on the ship to see if they have Hiccup or Barch, all right?" It felt strange to be the one giving the orders- usually that was Hiccup's job. But since he wasn't there, she was the one to give the orders. Snotlout didn't know how and Fishleg's was too scared and unsure of himself to do so.

"All right… be careful!" Fishleg's shouted before he and Meatlug dove for the ships below, Snotlout and Hookfang close behind.

Astrid flew directly over the ship, hovering over it while Fishleg's and Snotlout did some destruction. Then, she dive bombed for the deck of the ship, Stormfly a streak of light blue against the dark sky.

Stormfly landed with a heavy _thud_ against the wooden deck. Immediately she unsheathed her spikes, aiming them at the men who turned to attack them.

Astrid jumped off, holding her axe in her tight grip. She caught sight of Dagur, and she walked towards him with a shout. "What have you done with Hiccup and Barf and Blech?"

Dagur laughed as he jumped down off the top of the commander's quarters he'd been standing on. "Oh, well, as for the dragon, I have no idea. But Hiccup…" Dagur's eyes went towards the mast, where Astrid instantly followed his gaze. Her breath caught in her throat as she immediately raced forward, not bothering to look back at Dagur.

"HICCUP!" she shouted, landing on her knees beside him. He was lying on his side, his arms tied behind his back, in a puddle of blood. His blood. His eys were closed, and if he was breathing, it was too light for her to notice it first off.

"Oh, Thor… Hiccup." Astrid whispered, rolling him over onto his back. To her utter relief, he groaned weakly. But he made a sound that indicated life, which made Astrid work faster and harder.

She noticed that the blood was coming from the side of his stomach, right below his ribs. She ripped off a piece of her skirt, pressing the cloth tightly against the wound. To her surprise, Hiccup's eyes flew open and he let out a scream.

"Hiccup!" Astrid shouted, reaching out with her free hand to hold him down. She could feel the tears streaming down her cheeks as she watched him writhe and fight against her hold. She hated to see him in so much pain.

She grabbed her dagger from her belt, quickly slicing the ropes that bound Hiccup's arms. As soon as they were free, Hiccup's arms went to wrap around his stomach, and he tried to curl into himself as he moaned in pain.

"No, Hiccup. I-I'm trying to help you. I'm sorry… so sorry." Astrid sobbed loudly, pulling his hands away from the wound. "We're going to get you home, Hiccup."

Stormfly was slowly making her way to Astrid, shooting spines at anyone who dared to threaten her. Whenever dragon root arrows came flying, she'd cover herself with her wings to protect herself. Then, Dagur shouted at the men to aim towards Astrid and Hiccup, in which Stormfly immediately leaped forward shielding them with her wings.

"Thanks girl." Astrid said, before reaching into the dragon's saddlebags, pulling out the emergency roll of bandages she always carried along. She pulled Hiccup into a sitting position, wrapping multiple layers of the bandages around his stomach until she was completely out. She tied the ends together, then she stood, pulling Hiccup up with her.

Hiccup moaned loudly again, leaning heavily against Astrid's side. His breathing was deep and raspy, not sounding at all healthy. His free arm was wrapped tightly around his stomach, while his other was wrapped around Astrid's neck. Astrid, at this point, couldn't tell if he was conscious or not. His eyes were squeezed shut, yet he seemed to know what they were doing.

"Hiccup, can you hear me? Are you awake?"

Hiccup nodded slightly.

Astrid sighed, wondering if it would be easier for him if he'd just pass out. But he could do that after she got him on Stormfly and on their way back to the Edge.

"Okay, climb onto Stormfly, Hiccup." Astrid pulled him closer to the dragon, pushing him aboard. She hurriedly grabbed her axe then jumped on behind him, her arms wrapping around his waist carefully yet tightly. Hiccup let out a muffled shout of pain, his head falling back against Astrid's shoulder. She kissed his forehead gently before urging Astrid into the air.

Stormfly shot up and away from the ship as quickly as possible, Snotlout and Fishleg's turning to follow her. Astrid hugged Hiccup close to her, whispering soothing words.

"A-Astrid." He stuttered hoarsely.

"No, Hiccup. Don't talk. It'll only make it worse."

Hiccup gasped again, his eyes still shut although he didn't head her advice. "Barf… Belch… tied in… woods."

"Okay, Hiccup. It's alright. The twins will go get Barf and Belch later. Don't worry about it. Just… just rest okay? You're going to be all right."

Hiccup nodded softly before he went limp in her arms, his breathing shaky and unsteady. But she was just thankful that he was _breathing_ at all.

"What happened down there!?" Snotlout shouted from behind her. Astrid looked behind her towards the two dragon riders flying behind.

"They must've stabbed Hiccup." Astrid shouted. "Snotlout, I want you to go to Berk for Gothi and Stoick."

Snotlout nodded and immediately changed his direction, instead heading for Berk.

Astrid saw a dragon flying rather shaky and unsteadily towards them. She shook her head when she noticed it was the twins riding on Toothless.

"Woah, what happened to him!?" Ruffnut shouted while Tuffnut struggled to work the tailfin.

"He's hurt… badly! You guys get back to the Edge. Your dragon is out in the woods somewhere so you two can go and find him… got it?"

The twins nodded before Toothless turned around, the dragon cooing worriedly at the sight of Hiccup.

"He'll be okay Toothless." Astrid reassured, half to the dragon and half to herself.

As soon as they landed, Astrid dragged Hiccup off the dragon and inside the clubhouse. She laid him on the floor, hurrying to get some water and fresh bandages.

Toothless rushed inside, stopping when he saw Hiccup. He hurried over, wrapping himself around Hiccup's body, nudging the boy's hand in concern.

Fishleg's hurried inside, ready to offer any help he could. Astrid handed him cloths to press against the wound once she had it cleaned, but that was about all she knew he'd be of help for. That and healing herbs. Fishleg's knew a lot about that.

Astrid pulled Hiccup's armor off, then lifted up his shirt giving a gasp of horror. The wound was wide and deep, and she knew it was by sheer luck if his internal organs hadn't been damaged. The wound looked offly close to where his intestines were…

She grabbed the bucket of water and practically dunked the entire thing over the wound, using a cloth to clean away all the blood. She hurriedly bandaged the wound, thankful that Hiccup was unconscious for the entire process. Then, she pulled off the dirty shirt, pulling a clean one over his head and over the bandages.

She leaned back on her heals, thankful that it was done. She turned to Fishlegs.

"Could you make herbal drink to help the pain?" she asked, hoping he did.

Fishleg's nodded shakily before standing and walking over towards the fire. "Yeah. I'll make some real quick…"

Astrid turned back to Hiccup, pushing back his bangs which were damp with sweat. She leaned down and placed a kiss on his forehead, before leaning back to just watch his chest rise and fall.

"Get better soon." She whispered.

 **The eeeeeennnnnndddddd of this short story!**

 **I've got a couple more requests to do, like… four or something like that, not counting the one by Nightfurylover1112. So, yeah. :D**

 **I wanted to do a few shout-outs, cause I feel bad for not getting back to any of your reviews. I thought I'd just do it on here… so here are the shoutouts!**

* * *

 **SweetWritingIsMyLife: Thanks!**

 **Wildatheart843: Your welcome and thanks for the requests! I love Stryke out too. :)**

 **Zoha Ven: Thanks! I like reading your reviews, they really cheer me up so please, don't stop! :D**

 **Training to be a fangirl: THANK YOU SO SO MUCH! I loved doing your request. :D And you're not alone. I don't know what it is with us FanFicition Readers and Writers that we just like getting Hiccup hurt? :S haha poor Hiccup, we like putting him into sticky situations. XD**

 **ReptileGirl497: haha, yeah I know. That type of story does seem pretty popular. I've seen a lot of posts on Pinterest and Tumblr where these two fangirls especially really want to have a RTTE episode where Hiccup loses his memory temporarily. I'm not sure if I want it to happen or not… I can't make up my mind. :D**

 **Johnathen: Sorry but I don't do alternate universe fics. I stick mostly with the routine of the tv series or the movies… nothing to out of that range. Sorry.**

 **Silverwolf (guest): I am going to do your requests! Still working on them I'm having a hard time pulling them together for whatever reason. XD**

 **CoverGirl7210: Thank you so much!**

 **I'm sorry if I missed people… but one big THANK YOU to all of you!**

 **See you next story! -**


	14. I can help you, Daddy

**Title: "I can help you, Daddy"**

 **Requested by: Hiccstridlover13**

 **Summary: Hiccup and Astrid have been married for nine years. Astrid isn't home, and Hiccup's alone while having a phantom pain- well, alone except for his young eight-year-old daughter who insists she can take care of him.**

 **Genre: Family, Hurt/Comfort**

 **Rating: K**

 **Time-Line: Post HTTYD 2**

 **A/N: Ahhhhh… Father/Daughter bonding. How cute! Loved this idea, thanks for the request Hiccstridlover13! If you guys have any other requests you'd like me to do, please don't be afraid to tell me! I've only got a few more requests left to do (like, three or something) so… yeah! Thanks, everyone! Also, please share. I'd love to get a couple more followers :)**

 **Quick note here: Lea's full name is Leannan, Scottish Gaelic for "darling"**

* * *

Hiccup woke up- well not really because he'd never really been able to fall asleep. His leg was aching painfully, keeping him from resting. Not only that, but Astrid wasn't home, and for the first time in a long time she was away from home over night. He couldn't help but worry about her and with all the thoughts about all the things that could happen zipping through his brain didn't really give him a rest either.

Hiccup rolled over, letting out a soft moan of pain. The pain was beginning to grow sharper, not the dull ache it had been previously. His sound of discomfort alerted Toothless, who lifted his head up off the stone slab he slept on. The dragon stood up, walking over to where Hiccup was lying. He nudged his nose into Hiccup's hand, pulling back when he felt how sweaty it was.

Hiccup rested his hand on the dragon's head, thankful for the comfort. "Th-thanks, bud." He whispered. Toothless cooed, rubbing his head against Hiccup's hand worriedly. "N-no… I'm okay, Toothless. I've fine…" Hiccup clenched his teeth as the pain came rolling over his body again in a torrent. He buried his face in the pillow, muffling the sound of his cry of pain.

Toothless panicked, lifting his head and letting out a puff of hot air into Hiccup's hair. Hiccup tried to take a deep breath, but it ended up being more of a choking gag then anything. The pain came again, and this time Hiccup screamed, keeping his face buried in the pillow to try and muffle the sounds.

And while he may have accomplished it, Toothless's sharp ears picked up the sound of his rider in pain. He skipped from side to side in worry, trying to decide what to do.

Hiccup lifted his head, breathing heavily. "T-t-toothless… shh, bud. D-don't wake up… Lea…"

Toothless's ears pricked up, and he stilled. Then, before Hiccup could stop him, the dragon whirled around and headed for the door.

"No, Toothless!" Hiccup whispered loudly, struggling to stand up. He fell back with a cry of pain, his leg shooting what felt like daggers up and down his left leg.

Toothless paused, glanced back, then disappeared out the door. Hiccup leaned back, sighing in half anger and half worry. He didn't want Lea to have to see him like this…

Hiccup closed his eyes, biting his lip as the pain came again. He tried to think of something else- _anything_ else- anything besides the pain. His mind wandered to Astrid, and that relaxed him a little as he thought of her pretty face and caring embrace. He really wished she was home to help him through this…

"Daddy? What's wrong with Toothless?" came a small little voice. Hiccup rolled over, clenching his teeth so he wouldn't cry out.

Lea and Toothless were standing in the doorway, Lea gripping tightly to her stuffed dragon that Valka had made her for her eight birthday a few months ago. Her other hand was touching Toothless's side, her eyes wide in wonder.

Hiccup shot Toothless a quick glare before his eyes returned to his daughter. "N-nothin's wrong, sweetheart… you g-go back to b-bed, alright? T-t-toothless will g-go with-" Hiccup stopped abruptly, burying his face again in the pillow so she wouldn't hear him cry out.

"Daddy? What's wrong?" the young girl pattered across the floor in her bare feet, standing beside the bed. Toothless followed behind her, his eyes wide in concern.

Hiccup pulled the blanket up over his shoulders again, feeling rather ashamed for hiding from his eight-year-old daughter. "G-go t-t-to bed, Lea… go w-with T-Toothless…"

Toothless warbled, shaking his head to say no. Lea looked from the dragon back to her father. "Daddy? What's wrong?" she repeated, laying her hand on his shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, s-sweaty… I'm fine." Hiccup replied at calmly as possible. He tried not to let his voice shake, or to let the pain show. But it was really hard. Like, REALLY hard. He so wished Astrid was there right then. To tell Lea that everything was fine even though it wasn't. She was better at lying then he was…

Hiccup clenched his teeth again, curling into himself, his legs against his chest so that he could clutch his bad leg tightly. He closed his eyes, trying to will the pain to go away.

"Somethings wrong… what is it, Daddy? Please tell me!" Lea's voice shouted. Hiccup opened his eyes, wishing he could keep them closed, then he looked up at his young daughter.

"It's… m'leg… Lea… It's f-fine…" Hiccup tried to explain. He just wanted Lea to go to bed, then he could let his pain show and everything would get that much easier. "P-please… Lea… g-go to b-bed."

"No… not if you're hurt. I should go get Mommy."

"Mommy's n-not here, sw-sweatheart…" Hiccup stuttered. "Y-you c-can j-just go- go to bed now… e-everything's f-fine."

Hiccup stopped talking- there was no way he could say anything else. The pain grew stronger, stronger, sharper, sharper, and his mind stopped working completely. He vaguely heard a scream, not fully realizing it was his until a few moments later.

"DADDY!" Lea shrieked, holding out her hands shakily as though not sure if she should touch him or not. "WHAT'S WRONG!?"

Hiccup was unable to answer as he began to shake uncontrollably, and he could feel the sweat that was now drenching his body. He shivered, not sure why it was so cold all of a sudden.

Toothless warbled, nudging Hiccup roughly. Hiccup groaned, biting his lip to the point where he tasted blood in his attempts not to scream. Not again in front of Lea. She was freaked out enough as it was…

"Please, Daddy. I want to help." Came her timid voice again through the blackness of Hiccup's mind and view. He opened his eyes a crack, his hearing gradually coming into tune. It was then he realized he was breathing harshly and erratically… not at all healthy sounding.

Hiccup swallowed, trying to help his breathing. "I-i-it's o-okay… L-lea…" he gasped in between breaths. "I-I'm… f-f-fine…"

Hiccup closed his eyes again, squeezing them shut as the pain came across him in a wave- again. He pulled his knee closer to his chest, gripping it harshly.

Hiccup opened his eyes in surprise when he felt a little warm body crawl up onto the bed. His vision was a blurry mess though, so he couldn't exactly see where she was. He felt her warm body cuddle up against his chest, and Hiccup released his leg, instead wrapping his arms around his daughter.

"I'm here, Daddy… I can help you." Lea said softly, letting her free hand grasp his shirt while her other hung onto her stuffed dragon. "What can I do to help you, Daddy? I don't want you to hurt no more…"

Hiccup smiled softly to himself, realizing that he really was glad she had woken up that night and come to help him. Even if she couldn't help his pain go away, she was definitely a great comfort.

"J-just… st-stay…" Hiccup said hoarsely, hugging her close to him. "Th-thank you, Lea… I-I l-love you…"

He felt a little kiss on his chin, then the voice, "I love you too, Daddy."

And that was how Astrid found them in the morning. When she walked inside the house early the next morning, expecting to see Hiccup up already, she instead was met by an empty sitting room. She carefully tip-toed up the stairs, peering into Lea's room first. Her heart skipped a beat when she realized the little girl was no longer in her bed.

"Lea!?" Astrid whispered loudly. She walked across the hall, stopping gin the open doorway of the bedroom.

Inside was Toothless curled up on the floor by the bed, and in the bed, was Hiccup and Lea. Astrid smiled softly at the sight of her daughter curled into a little ball against Hiccup's chest, both Haddock's sleeping soundly. Toothless lifted his head quietly when he noticed Astrid, giving her a gummy smile.

Astrid smiled at her husband and daughter again, before reaching out and grabbing the door, softly closing it behind her.

 **I… I have nothing to say.**

 **I literally have to many feelings gushing through me all at once here.**

 **THE FEELS!**

 **Hiccup and kids… somehow, I get a feeling he's gonna be an awesome Dad. Anyone agree with me? He and Astrid will make AWESOME parents. RTTE you can already kinda see that in some ways, like how they yell at the twins or Snotlout. Haha. XD**

 **Thanks everybody! OH! GUYS! Thanks to nightfurylover1112's suggestion, I got a tumblr profile now! Here is the link if you want to go check it out… it's not much, but… *shrug***

 **See ya everyone until the next story!**


	15. Jealous

**Title: Jealous**

 **Requested by: Silverwolf (guest)**

 **Summary: During a treaty renewal with the Stamme tribe, the chief's daughter keeps flirting with Hiccup. And when she begins to make fun of Astrid, Hiccup takes a stand and defends her.**

 **Genre: Romance, Drama, Friendship**

 **Rating: K**

 **Time-line: right before Race to the Edge**

 **A/N: Silverwolf, I am so sorry this took me so long! It has been weeks since you requested this, and I'm SO SORRY for that. But here you go, thank you for waiting so patiently. :D**

* * *

Astrid stopped at the bottom of the steps to Hiccup and Stoick's hut. She tapped her foot against the stone ground, waiting for Hiccup as he quickly made his way down the stairs, Toothless following behind.

Astrid laughed as he passed by her with a hurried hello. She grabbed his arm, tugging him into a stop. "Hey! Where are you off to in such a hurry?"

Hiccup struggled to free himself, although he was grinning madly. "Need to hide!"

Astrid let go of him, and Hiccup stepped back slightly, nearly tumbling over onto his backside. But Toothless caught him with his head, shoving him back into a standing position.

"And what for?" Astrid pressed.

Hiccup rubbed his arm tenderly, although she could tell he was exaggerating his injury, "Another treaty renewal… and guess who it's with."

Astrid furled her brow as she thought. "Umm… who is it?"

Hiccup groaned as he glanced up at the sky, turning around, "It's the Stamme tribe… and he has a son that is absolutely _terrifying._ I don't understand why all the chief's sons _hate me_!? It's always my luck…"

Astrid laughed softly. "There hasn't been a treaty renewal with that tribe in years, Hiccup. You've sorta changed since then."

Hiccup glanced down at his leg, then back at Astrid. "So, you think my leg is going to fix my problem?"

Astrid smiled, giving a little laugh. "No! You changed Berk for the better Hiccup." She gestured around her to the village around them, "And…" she paused, then just… well said it, "And you've changed- other than your leg. For one thing- you're a lot taller now. And not as scrawny. Still skinny- just not scrawny."

Hiccup grinned at her, "Thanks. But I still don't think-"

"Ugh, Hiccup, stop bringing yourself down! It's going to be fine." Astrid set her hand gently on his shoulder, and Hiccup let out a sigh.

"Maybe… but just in case I think I should go hide in like… the cove or something-"

Astrid laughed, punching Hiccup lightly in the shoulder. She looked over at Toothless giving him a wink. "Don't let him run, Toothless." Toothless cooed in half laughter, half agreement.

Hiccup groaned. "Come on…"

"They're here!" someone shouted from in the village. Hiccup groaned again, rolling his eyes to the sky.

"No…" he moaned.

Astrid laughed, grabbing Hiccup's arm and giving him a little shove towards the docks. "Go on fraidy cat."

Toothless began walking towards the docks, giving a low rumble for Hiccup to follow. Astrid came up in the rear, not really sure if she should go to the docks with Hiccup and Stoick or not. She wasn't too big a fan of Chief Stamme's son herself. That boy had a tendency of being a rude bully.

There were nearly five ships at the dock, quite a small fleet for what some tribes would bring. But that made Astrid that much more relaxed. It appeared that this tribe was friendly, and meant them no harm. She was glad they didn't have too big a problem with Berk being friends with dragon's- because it really was a pain to hide the dragon's every time a peace renewal came up. But Chief Stamme said he wasn't too big on killing dragon's himself, so honestly didn't mind.

Stoick was already waiting on the docks, Gobber standing by his side. Toothless trotted up and sat down on his rear by the edge of the dock. Hiccup and Astrid walked over by Stoick, Astrid staying back by Toothless while Hiccup went to stand beside his Dad.

The ship pulled up to the dock, and immediately a plank was lowered. Astrid watched as Chief Stamme stepped down, wearing a very impressive fur cape with a tan tunic and leather boots. He had a long brown beard with streaks of grey running through it. He looked to be about ten years older than Stoick.

"Chief Stamme! Good to see ya made the journey alright," Stoick said, stepping forward and clapping the chief on the back. Chief Stamme laughed heartily, returning the gesture.

"Yep! Sea's be calmer than they've ever been! Made the journey quite pleasant."

Stoick, Chief Stamme, and Gobber began talking about sailing difficulties while Astrid's eyes went back to the ship, waiting for Karl, Chief Stamme's son, to step out. But, to her shock and surprise, a young girl- not much older than Astrid herself- stepped up and onto the edge. She tottered a little, grabbing onto her long green gown to keep it from dragging on the ground. Astrid wrinkled her nose, puzzled as to why the girl would wear such a thing- much less a long one. You'd think she'd have the sense to wear something more suitable for travel.

The girl daintily picked her way down the plank, stepping lightly onto the dock. She had long wavy honey colored hair, a darker shade then Astrid's. And Astrid couldn't help but admit that it was gorgeous. It fell to her waste, and was very thick. The girl had two small braids on each side of her head, brought back to meat in the back, the end of the two braids dangling down her back weaving in and out of her free wavy hair. It looked so troublesome- Astrid just couldn't understand why she didn't pull it back. It must get in the way a lot.

Then, the slender girl wore a long green gown with gold lacing and trimming. It was quite feminine looking- and very… stylish. Astrid- in all honesty- had never ever seen anything quite like her. She was just so… womanly. Not one woman on Berk wore such a thing- unless it was a wedding. But even then, the gowns weren't made of the flimsy lacy stuff this girl wore. The Berkians made good, strong, sturdy cloth that would last. Astrid faintly remembered her mother owning a dress similar to the one the girl wore- only that one was a light blue- and not nearly as delicate.

The girl stepped up by her father, playing with her long hair as she looked shyly at the men from under long dark eyelashes.

Astrid stepped closer so she could hear what they were saying. Chief Stamme smiled, then stepped back, a hand going on the girl's arm. "This is my daughter, Lily."

Astrid's jaw dropped, never before realizing that Chief Stamme had a daughter.

Stoick stepped forward, taking her small hand in both of his. "Nice to meet you, Lily. I hope you enjoy your stay in Berk."

Lily looked past Stoick in Hiccup's direction, giving a shy smile. "Oh, I think I'll find it… quite nice." She answered quietly, adding a little giggle at the end of the sentence. Astrid's nose wrinkled again, confused as to why she was laugh like that… it seemed so… petty. Small. _Weak_.

Astrid watched Hiccup's expression carefully, finding a strange feeling rising in the pit of her stomach. It was something that she hadn't felt in a long time… and it was so strange. Hiccup didn't seem fazed by the girl at all though, merely giving her a nod of his head with only a hint of a smile. He didn't look like he was paying much attention though- much to Astrid's relief. She started in surprise, wondering to herself why she was relieved for that.

Lily stepped forward, holding out a hand to Hiccup. "Why, daddy, you never told me Hiccup was such a fine young man."

From the angle Astrid was in, she could see the blush rising to touch Hiccup's ears. Astrid felt her own ears heat up- but hers were in anger and not embarrassment. For some reason… this girl just ticked her off.

"Uh-uh." Hiccup stuttered. "N-nice to meet you too… I guess."

Astrid knew he was embarrassed for sure now that he was stuttering. He hardly stuttered at all anymore- having rid of the habit years ago. But it still returned if he got nervous, embarrassed, or scared.

Lily bat her eyes at Hiccup, making the poor guy blush all the harder. Lily's hand was still extending out to him, but he made no move to take it. In fact, he even stepped away from her. Astrid didn't blame him, the girl scared her too.

Stoick cleared his throat nervously while Gobber whistled awkwardly. "Uh, yes. Anyways. Let me show some of the new adjustments we've made to the village since the dragons have moved in…"

Stoick, Chief Stamme and Gobber began moving towards the village, leaving Lily behind.

Stoick called behind them as they went, "Astrid, Hiccup, why don't you show Lily around?"

Astrid gulped, knowing that already she and this girl were not going to get along. But since she was the Chief's daughter, she had to keep peace. She couldn't pick a fight. This girl looked like she could be the tattle tale sort, and if Astrid did something to anger her, she'd most certainly go to tell her "daddy" and the entire treaty renewal would be ruined.

Astrid stepped forward hesitantly, Toothless following close behind. He was looking curiously at the girl, his eyes wide in bewilderment.

Hiccup seemed relieved to see her. He let out a little sigh- although Astrid doubted if Lily noticed it. He gave Astrid a smile, before turning back to Lily.

"This is Astrid Hofferson. My…" Astrid waited to hear what he would say, already knowing in the back of her mind what it would be, "friend." Hiccup finished.

Lily turned and stared Astrid up and down, making Astrid feel very uncomfortable. She didn't like being… studied like that. Astrid's cheeks burned, no matter how hard she tried to she couldn't keep it away.

Lily stepped forward, giving Astrid a very forced looking smile. "Nice to meet you, Astrid." She again looked her up and down. "Are you one of the servants?"

Astrid blushed all the more- all though it was turning more into one of anger. This girl was trying deliberately to irritate her even more then she was.

Hiccup stepped in, interrupting the two. "NO, she is not. We don't have servants. She is my friend, and one of the best Dragon Rider and Racer on Berk."

Astrid didn't say anything, just stared hard at Lily, slouching a bit as she crossed her arms. "Nice to meet you." She said, not bothering to offer a hand. She did not wish to be friends with this flighty girl.

Lily sniffed. "Hm, you don't look like much to me."

To Astrid's surprise, Hiccup looked like he was getting angrier then Astrid really was. She didn't mind that one bit- that he was getting angry on her behalf. That didn't bother her one slightest bit.

"Astrid is the best axe wielder in Berk." Hiccup stated firmly. "And she rides a fierce Deadly Nadder."

Lily laughed lightly, "Axe wielding? Oh my." She said with a giggle. "This certainly is a rough little village."

Lily seemed to realize what she'd said, for she quickly covered it up with a smile, turning back to Hiccup. She linked her arm in his, tugging him towards the village. "Why don't you show me around, Hiccup?"

Hiccup shrugged out of her hold, walking back to Astrid and Toothless. "I-I'm sorry… but I promised Astrid I'd go flying with her today. So-so I can show you to my cousin's hut. I'm sure he'd be more than happy to show you around."

Astrid had never felt happier. Hiccup had protected her, defended her, and had even kept his promise although it was a treaty renewal. She felt a warm feeling fill her chest, and she couldn't contain the smile on her face.

Lily put on a little pout, her hands grabbing her skirt, swishing it about a bit. "Oh, but I so wanted you to show me around-"

"I'm sorry. But I believe in keeping promises." Hiccup stated firmly, his look firmer then Astrid had ever seen it before.

Lily's look also hardened as she glared first Astrid, then at Hiccup. Then, with an angry hiss she said, "Your lost." Then, with a flurry of cloth she stalked away.

Hiccup exhaled heavily turning around to face Astrid. "S-sorry… I-" Hiccup swallowed before saying angrily, "She's no better than her brother. Why would she say things like that to you? I mean- that's just cruel." Hiccup said heatedly.

Astrid laughed shakily, reaching out and grabbing Hiccup's hand. "Hiccup… thank you. What you did back there." She looked over his shoulder at the figure of Lily, "it meant a lot to me."

Hiccup smiled softly, "I thought you'd be mad- seeing as how you like to stand up for yourself and everything-"

Astrid shrugged, "I couldn't, seeing as how she is the Chief's daughter. Me talking out could've ruined the entire treaty."

Hiccup laughed, pulling away from her. "Well, how about that flight, milady?"

Astrid returned the grin, "You think I'd say no after that?"

Hiccup laughed, climbing onto Toothless's back before reaching out his hand for her. She grabbed his hand, letting him help her up. Then, Toothless leapt into the air, leaving the village of Berk behind.

 **Don't know if I like this or not. But the request was awesome. Just so everybody knows, I am now out of requests. So, don't know when I'll update again- not until I get more requests I suppose. :D So, feel free anytime to PM me or put down in the reviews a request. Thanks, everybody!**

 **Until then!**


	16. Overworked

**Title: Overworked**

 **Requested by: Zoha Ven**

 **Summary: After an attack from Dagur, the Edge is a mess. Hiccup overworks himself while trying to repair the Edge, and passes out. The rest of the gang feel guilty, and do the work for him while he sleeps.**

 **Genre: Friendship, Hurt/Comfort**

 **Rating: K**

 **Time-line: Race to the Edge**

 **A/N: Oh, this is such a cute idea! Awesome job at the request Zoha Ven, and huge THANKS for it! If it wasn't for you guys and your requests and suggestions, I would be so inactive on my profile. Hope you enjoy this!**

* * *

Astrid glanced up at the door where Hiccup was standing, and she took a moment to let her vision adjust to the bright light from the open door. The door slid closed, and Hiccup, with Toothless by his side, walked inside.

Everyone was gathered in the clubhouse on this early- and rather chilly- morning. Everybody was exhausted. Yesterday had been a hard day of flying for hours and having little time to rest. Not to mention, on returning, the Edge had been utterly destroyed. Not much of a battle had been fought, because Dagur was nothing but a coward and retreated with even the littlest defeat. But now, everyone just wanted to sit and rest, feeling rather depressed that their base had been messed up. Thankfully, the buildings were all still intact, but there were boulders and wood from the gang planks scattered everywhere, and the dome needed to be repaired for a stone had put a large dent into it.

Hiccup had been working on it most of the night, trying to patch up some of the wooden planks that ran from building to building. Without them, you couldn't walk between buildings. It was rather difficult getting around- especially last night when the dragons had been placed in the stables and everyone had to walk back to their huts.

Now, everyone was gathered around the fire pit, eating their breakfast meal. Astrid watched Hiccup as he stumbled over to the table, slumping into the chair with a sigh of relief. Toothless cooed in worry, stepping up beside his friend. The dragon laid on the ground next to Hiccup's chair, curling his tail around Hiccup's feet as he immediately dozed off to sleep.

Hiccup looked like he wanted to join his dragon in slumber. He blinked dazedly, and his posture was sloppy. Astrid's heart tugged as she realized Hiccup probably hadn't slept since early yesterday morning.

"Hiccup, did you go to bed at all last night?" she asked, standing from her seat to go stand beside him.

"Naw… too much to do…" Hiccup muttered. He blinked at the wooden table several times, then reached forward and grabbed a plate of food.

"Oh… sleep felt glorious last night. I literally just hung upside down, then dropped right to sleep!" Tuffnut said while waving his half eaten fried fish in the air. "Honestly, I'm never underestimating sleep ever again."

"Me neither." Ruffnut agreed, picking at her bowl of yak milk. "I was too tried to even blow things up."

"And that's saying a lot." Snotlout said in a bored tone. "You two can always blow stuff up."

"That was our point." Ruffnut answered.

Astrid ignored them for the most part, her main worry on Hiccup. He kind of zoned out for a few minutes, just staring off intot he distance. She tapped his shoulder, jerking him back into reality.

"Hiccup, you should go to bed-"

"But what if Dagur tries to attack again. I've got to get this place back into-"

"Sleep is more important right now. You're exhausted." Astrid said firmly, interrupting his selfless statement. Hiccup really needed to try and think about himself more often.

Hiccup leaned back against his chair, his eyes flickering. "I'm fine…" he said softly. "Just… peachy."

Astrid shook her head. "No, you're not. You're going to pass out if you push yourself anymore, Hiccup."

Hiccup pushed himself away from the table, jumping to his feet. "No, really, I'm fine-" but he wasn't. He froze, his eyes sliding shut as he crumpled to the ground against Toothless.

"Hiccup!" Astrid shouted, dashing to the ground beside him. Toothless had been jolted awake when Hiccup had landed on top of him, so now had his head lifted up, blinking about dazedly. His eyes fell onto Hiccup, and his eyes widened as he cooed worriedly, nuzzling his head against his rider's hand.

"Oh, you idiot." Astrid said softly.

"What happened to Hiccup?" Tuffnut asked, peering over the edge of the table.

"Did he seriously just faint?" Snotlout added, stepping around Toothless to look down at the form of Hiccup.

Astrid pushed Hiccup down on the floor beside Toothless, and immediately the dragon rapped his legs and wings around the boy, drawing him closer to his body. Toothless tucked his head under his wing's, closing his eyes and falling back to sleep. Astrid stood up, still shaking her head

"He worked all night… and all by himself." She said quietly. The other's fell silent, but she could tell they were listening intently. "We should've known he wouldn't go to bed."

Snotlout was actually the first one to speak up, "We should get to work- you know. With picking up and stuff."

Astrid nodded her head. "And Hiccup's not doing any more work. That's for sure." She straightened even more, dusting off her clothes as she glanced at the other riders. "Let's hurry up and get this place picked up."

Everybody carefully and quietly tip-toed out the clubhouse, leaving Toothless to care for Hiccup. Astrid began assigning duties to everyone, giving each person a special chore. She herself was going to pick up the platform areas and repair them with Stormfly.

Everyone set to work, and since everyone was pitching in and helping where they could, it really didn't take too long. It amazed Astrid that Hiccup had gotten so much done by himself for only one night. He'd done half the work himself.

It was just past noon time when everyone gathered in front of the clubhouse, every one of them smiling happily.

"All done!" the twins exclaimed, high fiving each other. "And we managed to do it without blowing anything up! And it wasn't easy either!"

"Meatlug did a very good job at eating the boulders, didn't you girl?" Fishleg's hugged Meatlug around the neck tightly, while Meatlug just wagged her tail and smiled happily, giving a little burp of agreement.

Snotlout began to boast about how great he did his chore and how he'd done the most out of all of them. Astrid rolled her eyes, then peaked inside the clubhouse door, smiling when she noticed Hiccup was sprawled out over Toothless, while Toothless was flopped over onto his back, snoring loudly. As uncomfortable as their positions looked, it appeared that they were both sleeping soundly.

She turned back to the others, whispering loudly, "I think we should go back to our huts and let them sleep."

Fishleg's nodded in agreement while the twins merely walked away towards heir hut, Barf and Belch following behind. Snotlout climbed onto Hookfang's back, then the two leapt into the air soaring off on patrol.

Astrid climbed onto Stormfly, smiling one last time at Hiccup and Toothless, then Stormfly leapt into the air, soaring off into the sky.

* * *

 **Short, I know, but I feel guilty for not updating on here lately so I typed this up really quick. I've been so busy lately that it's been hard to fit in writing…**

 **But here you go, hope you liked it. :D See you next time!**


	17. Good For Him

**Title: Good For Him**

 **Requested by: Nightfurylover1112**

 **Summary: It's the first Snoggletog that Valka has spent since returning home to Berk, and it gives her a little time to get to know Astrid better, and for the two to talk about a grieving Hiccup who misses his Dad.**

 **Genre: Friendship**

 **Rating: K**

 **Time-line: Two months after HTTYD 2**

 **A/N: Okay, so I think I'm starting to get back into the swing of things! (I hope) So I will totally be resuming these requests, and if any of you made a request and haven't gotten it yet, never fear! I have them all written down and they will come soon! :D I may update a little slower then I used to thought- like maybe one update a day- but that'll be because I'm also doing stuff on tumblr and on youtube. So… yeah!**

 **But thanks for being so patient. Enjoy!**

* * *

Valka smiled at any Viking who passed, sometimes giving a happy word of celebration, but for the most part just standing to the side beside Cloudjumper- who had insisted on joining in the celebration. She held a wooden mug in her hand, swirling the contents inside around as she distractedly watched the young children run about, calling names and waving streams of colorfully dyed cloth, young baby dragons yipping at their heals. Valka laughed when one of the baby zipplebacks sneezed, sending a harmless explosion of smoke and fire into the middle of the crowd of children.

Valka chuckled, turning her head to face a small group not far from her. She realized them as being the older teens of Berk, and Hiccup's best friends. She recognized Snotlout immediately, since he was her nephew and Spitelout's son. She also knew him because he helped Hiccup quite a bit with the guard duty of Berk, especially since he was captain in that department.

Her eyes next fell to the two long haired blonds who stood beside him, both of them doing some crazy stunt by trying to stand on each other shoulders… at the same time. She knew that these were the Thorston twins- Ruffnut and Tuffnut. I mean, it was rather hard not to know them- since Hiccup was constantly yelling at them and trying to get them to behave. It seemed like a hopeless cause though. Valka laughed softly when the twins toppled to the ground, nothing but a heap of tangled limbs and dreadlocks.

Next was Fishlegs, the large Ingerman boy. Valka had talked to him multiple times, since he was quite knowledgeable about dragons. Even Hiccup- the dragon trainer- would turn to Fishleg's for assistance on dragon knowledge. Hiccup and Fishleg's seemed to have a strong friendship, and the two boys hung out quite a bit geeking about dragons. Valka herself would sometimes join in with their talk, the three being the wisest on the more complicated matters of dragons.

Next, and lastly, but most definitely not least, was Astrid. Valka's smile wavered a bit as she looked over the girl, who was laughing as she said something to Fishlegs, both eyeing the twins humorously. The young girl was dressed in dark blue leggings with knee guards, while wearing a red long-sleeved shirt and tan skirt with spikes. She had heavy arm wrappings on to help keep her arms warm, while also having light metal shoulder guards and a fur hood. Her hair was braided loosely to the side, some loose strands hanging around her ears and her bangs flopped on her forehead over her eyes. She was a beautiful girl, and Valka was happy that Hiccup had chosen such a strong, fierce, and loyal girl. Astrid seemed to be very much in love with Hiccup as well, and Valka knew Hiccup returned the affections. It was rather hard not to know, especially after that "little" smooch the two had shared after the battle with Drago. Plus, Valka had caught them kissing quite a few times after that too, and after a talk with Gobber about it, she knew that the two had been courting for quite some time now. She dearly hoped Hiccup would propose to Astrid soon, so she could be a grandmother. She smiled softly to herself, her hands hardly feeling the cup that she was still holding. Her thoughts wandered to Stoick at the thoughts of grandbabies, and her heart constricted slightly. How she missed him. She'd just gotten him back, and then he'd been gone… just like that. In that one split second. Gone. Forever.

But she knew she didn't grieve nearly as much as some others. Hiccup, Gobber, and even Astrid to name a few. Those three had been the closest to the late chief, and each one felt the pain in their own way. Valka already knew Hiccup was suffering, although the pain had lessened some with the time that had passed. The first few weeks Hiccup had woken up screaming and sobbing from the night terrors that haunted him. Sometimes he'd been so delirious he hadn't even known she was his mother when she'd come to comfort him. He'd even pushed Toothless away at times, thinking that the dragon was there to hurt his dad. Those nights had been hard on all of them, for Hiccup had lost a lot of sleep, Toothless had become worried for his rider, although thankfully hadn't gotten too depressed over the events. He already knew that Hiccup didn't mean the words he said in the delirious fits. But Hiccup worried Toothless, and the dragon sometimes stayed awake all night looking over his friend.

"Deep in thought?" a voice said beside her. Valka jumped, nearly dropping her wooden mug in the process. She caught it quickly before it tumbled to the ground, giving a sideways glance to the person who'd spoken.

As she'd suspected, it was Astrid. The girl looked concerned, but when she caught Valka's eye she smiled nervously. "Sorry… I didn't mean to startle you."

Valka laughed, passing it off easily. "No, no it's fine. I was… just zoned out there I guess."

The two fell silent, both watching the commotion of the crowd around them. Some Vikings had begun to sing a silly Snoggletog carol, every single one of them off key. Valka gave a little cringe as one Viking hit a very sour note. Astrid was glancing over at a small group of dragons, Stormfly being one of them.

"Were you thinking about Hiccup?" Astrid finally asked, quietly and tentatively, obviously unsure if she should ask the question or not.

Valka smiled again, still staring off into the crowd. "Yes."

Astrid nodded, "How… how is he doing of late?" she asked, once again hesitantly.

Valka sighed, sliding down to the floor and leaning against Cloudjumper's side. Astrid stood for a moment longer before following and sitting beside her.

"He's… he's doing better then he's been." Valka answered slowly. "Not as many night terrors."

Astrid smiled with relief. "That's good." Her eyes flickered towards the crowd before returning to Valka. "He used to have nightmares back after he lost his leg." Astrid voiced quietly. She took a deep breath before continuing. "One time, Stoick had to go to a meeting. Toothless woke me up, and I went to Stoick's hut to see what was wrong. It was Hiccup." Her voice shook slightly, but she cleared her throat to steady it. "H-e… he was scared… and didn't know me. He thought I didn't like him… that I was only there to make fun of him."

Valka nodded knowingly, knowing what Astrid meant. Hiccup experienced much the same things with her when he woke up delusional.

Astrdi's voice cracked, "I-I… well me and Toothless finally got him to calm down. I convinced him to explain what was wrong, and he told me he missed his Dad."

Valka's heart skipped a beat, and she looked over at the girl sitting beside her. Astrid lifted her head, her eyes damp with unshed tears. Somehow, Valka knew Astrid would force herself not to let them fall down her cheeks. The girl was strong, and wouldn't show the weakness.

Astrid smiled, "He said he felt like he was wanted… and that it was strange to him. That he was actually… wanted and needed."

Valka returned the smile, then wrapped an arm around Astrid's shoulders. The girl leaned against her, glad for the company.

"I wish I'd been here." Valka said. "Been here for him during all that… when Stoick wasn't there. Hiccup didn't deserve to be alone." She paused, "without a parent."

Astrid pulled away and smiled, "But he has you now, and I know he isn't mad at you at all for leaving-"

"Yes… I know. But I still feel bad. For not being there when Hiccup needed me most." Valka sighed, staring off into space.

Astrid spoke up again, "So, where did Hiccup go? I haven't seen him since he made his speech."

Valka nodded towards the door. "I saw him sneak out a little while ago."

Astrid giving an understanding look, both women knowing where he'd gone. To visit the large stone statue of Stoick that had been made immediately after the battle with Drago. After all, it was the first Snoggletog that Hiccup had spent without his Dad and as chief.

Valka felt her chest tighten as she thought back to a few hours earlier, when Hiccup had stood up to say his Snoggletog speech. She knew it had been hard for him. Oh, she knew it was so hard for him to do. She had been the only one close enough to him to see the tears that had welled up in his eyes, but never spilled over. His voice had been calm, unwavering, and strong. But despite that, she knew that the residents of Berk knew how their chief had struggled with the speech. Even if Hiccup had hidden it so well, it was only to be expected. The speech had been something that Stoick had done every year. And even though the initial pain had worn off, and Hiccup was now coping very well with it and didn't dwell on his father's death nearly as much, it still hit him hard when a special occasion arose. Something that Stoick used to do, but now was no longer there to do it.

Valka sighed, forgetting Astrid was there so whispered to herself, "I hope he's okay."

Astrid rested a hand on Valka's forearm, and the older woman turned to look at the young girl. Astrid smiled understandingly, and gave a nod towards the Hall doors. "Go find him. I think he needs his mother."

Valka hesitated, then smiled slowly before standing up, grabbing Astrid's hands and pulling her up with her. She reached over and brought Astrid in for a tight hug, resting her head on the young girl's shoulder.

"Thank you, Astrid. You're good for Hiccup." She whispered in her ear. Astrid pulled back, grinning from ear to ear.

"We both are."

 **Aww…. Mother/daughter bonding (kinda? When Hiccup proposes, it will be! XD)**

 **Hope you enjoyed this, and I will try to update soon! Love you all and have a terrific day!**

 **Tootles!**


	18. Sick

**Title: Sick**

 **Requested by: Hiccstridlover13**

 **Summary: Hiccup gets a bad case of the flu, and for once, Stoick feels like he should be there to help him through it.**

 **Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Family**

 **Rating: K**

 **Time-line: Legend of the Boneknapper**

 **A/N: Okay, so I know this is the second time I've done a one-shot in the Legend of the Boneknapper time-zone, but that's because I absolutely loved Hiccup in that short. He was so small, still really scrawny, used his hands a lot when he talked like the Hiccup from HTTYD 2, and I liked how he walked a bit stiffer- still trying to get used to his leg. I don't know, maybe it's just me but I found him just so adorable in that short. XD  
Well, anyways, hope you enjoy this! Shot-outs down below!**

* * *

Stoick blinked his eyes open, staring out into the darkness for a few seconds, wondering what had woken him up. He held his breath, listening intently for any sound. Nothing.

No. There was that sound again. It was muffled, and Stoick couldn't fully make out what or who it was. He paused, still listening when a scraping noise sounded, and floor board creaked above him.

Hiccup's room.

Stoick listened all the harder, and heard the tell-tale coo of a Night Fury. Then came a quieter voice, but Stoick was able to pick the words up.

"No… shh, Toothless. I-I'm fine… quiet, bud. Don't want to wake Dad…"

There was suddenly the sound of a large bang, and immediately Stoick whipped the blankets off of him, hurrying to pull on his fur boots before rushing out the door. Toothless cooed once more, and Stoick hurried faster, running up the stairs as fast as he could. Toothless popped his head out Hiccup's bedroom door, his eyes wide, obviously worried. Stoick stepped in the door, and Toothless hurriedly turned around and bounced back over by the bed.

Stoick followed the dragon, walking around the bed to the other side where he guessed Hiccup was. He must've fallen out- which would explain the bang he'd heard earlier.

Stoick stopped when he saw Hiccup, who was crumbled on the ground rolled into a ball. His prosthetic was gone, and Stoick supposed that Hiccup went to stand up but had forgotten about his bad leg so had fallen instead. His chest tightened at the thought, and he hurried to bend down beside his son.

"Hiccup?"

"Toothless… I t-told you not t-to get him…" Hiccup stuttered hoarsely. Stoick frowned at how gaspy he sounded, almost like he was in pain or had been crying. Perhaps both.

"He didn't. I heard a sound and thought maybe something was wrong-" Stoick rested his large hand on Hiccup's thing shoulder, and he realized then how Hiccup was shaking.

"I-I'm fine… you can g-go back to bed, Dad." Hiccup lifted his head, his eyebrows knit together in pain. Fear took hold of Stoick's heart, and his worry spiked.

"Hiccup… what's wrong?"

Hiccup curled into himself tighter, ducking his head again with a little whimper. Stoick reached down, wrapping his arms around Hiccup's body and bringing him close. To Stoick's surprise, Hiccup nuzzled his face into Stoick's chest, his breathing heavy and labored. Stoick paused for a moment before bending down and pressing a kiss into Hiccup's sweaty hair.

Stoick pulled back, shocked at how hot Hiccup felt. HE lifted a hand and laid it against Hiccup's forehead, withdrawing it quickly when the heat felt like it could burn his hand.

"Hiccup, you're running a fever."

"Whah?" Hiccup mumbled. He pulled back, lifting a hand and laying the back of it on his forehead. He let his hand fall and he blinked. "Oh."

Stoick stood up, lifting Hiccup up with him. He gently set the boy on the bed on top of the blanket, going over to a trunk to grab a few more to spread over him. Hiccup curled up again on his side, his arms going to wrap around his stomach.

Stoick trotted down the stairs, grabbing the bucket of drinking water off the table and grabbing a clean rag on his way back upstairs. When he reached Hiccup's room, he saw that Toothless had taken his protective position on one side of Hiccup's bed, the dragon's large head resting under Hiccup's arm. The dragon looked at Stoick, his green eyes glowing in the dark, but he didn't look a terrifying dragon Stoick knew he could be. He looked like a mix between a worry cat and puppy, his pupils large and his little warble soft.

Stoick sat the bucket on Hiccup's desk, then dunked the rag in and rung it out. He folded it neatly before placing it onto Hiccup's forehead, the boy instantly leaning into it with a little sigh of relief.

Stoick patted Hiccup's shoulder softly, pulling Hiccup's desk chair close to the bed and sitting down in it. Hiccup didn't move for several minutes, and Stoick began to think he'd fallen asleep.

Just as he was about to stand up, Hiccup bolted upright, his arms still wrapped tightly around his stomach. His eyes were shut, but his voice steady.

"Dad… I-I'm gonna be sick…"

At first, Stoick didn't know what he meant. His eyes fell to Hiccup's arms, and then he realized. He launched to the desk, grabbing the bucket and pushing it into Hiccup's lap. Hiccup grabbed it and expelled into it, his entire body shaking as he gagged.

Stoick rubbed Hiccup's back comfortingly, wishing there was something more he could do to help. And even though deep down he knew there wasn't, he still felt terrible that he couldn't make Hiccup feel better.

Hiccup leaned weakly against Stoick's chest, and Stoick reached forward and took the bucket away from him, setting it on the floor and shoving it away with his boot. Hiccup gave a little shiver, his arms going back to wrapping around his stomach, although this time a bit loser.

Stoick massaged Hiccup's arm with his hand, trying to offer some comfort. Toothless nudged his head against Hiccup's stomach and under one of his arms, cooing.

"Th-thanks…" Hiccup murmured. "S-sorry…"

"No, it's alright Hiccup." Stoick interrupted before he could say anything more. "You're sick. Everybody gets sick from time to time."

Hiccup let out a hoarse cough, his fist going to cover his mouth. "I-I know but I get s-sick so often…"

Stoick pulled away, gripping Hiccup's arms and looking at him straight in the eyes. "Listen, son. You're just more prone to illness then some- and that happens. It's not your fault- it's _nobody's_ fault. It's not even a fault at all. It's just _who you are_."

Hiccup blinked, and Stoick realized his eyes were watering. He took a deep breath, hurrying to continue before he was lost to his emotions.

"And there's nothing wrong with being you, Hiccup. So don't you dare apologize."

Hiccup let out a choked sob, and Stoick brought him back in for a hug, rocking back and forth while whispering soothing words. Hiccup clung tightly to Stoick, his face buried in his chest. This reminded Stoick of how Hiccup used to behave all those years ago, when Hiccup had only been a toddler. He'd gotten hurt, and Stoick had picked him up and rocked him to sleep. The thought brought a new pain to Stoick's heart when he realized how in the last seven years how much he'd neglected his son. After Hiccup had turned eight, Stoick and Berk had come to realize that Hiccup was never going to fill out and become a "true Viking". That had been when Stoick began to avoid- no _ignore_ \- his son. And poor Hiccup had been shunned, everyone too caught up in what he wasn't to realize what he truly was. And Hiccup was someone special.

Stoick felt a tear trickle down his cheek, but he didn't bother to wipe it away. This new emotion was new to him, but he knew that it was good. He knew that Hiccup had brought a whole new generation to Vikings, and that no one would ever be shunned for being someone different. Never again. Not after this.

"I…" Stoick paused, hesitating, "I-I love you son."

Hiccup shuddered, and Stoick held his breath, wondering if Hiccup would even bother replying. Stoick had been so cruel after all… a horrible father. He didn't deserve Hiccup's love anyways. What kind of a Dad disowned his son just because he'd done something that no one else had dared to do? Stoick had thought him weak for not killing a dragon- when in fact it was Stoick who was weak. He'd been too weak and afraid to train one. To believe in his son.

But Hiccup's voice came, albeit muffled and sticky from his tears. The words he said erased all the past thoughts from Stoick's mind, and made his chest fill with joy.

"I love you too, Dad."

Stoick gave a half sob, half laugh as he pulled his son closer. "I'm never going to leave you again Hiccup. I promise. And I'm so sorry. For everything-"

"Dad… we already went through this."

"I know, but I think it needs to be said again." Stoick insisted. "I'm so sorry, Hiccup."

"I-it's fine. Really…"

Stoick pulled away, then placed Hiccup back under the covers, pulling the blankets up to around Hiccup's shoulders. "I'm staying right here until your better." Stoick stated firmly. "So go to sleep. I'll be here if you need anything."

Hiccup smiled up at his Dad, happy that he was there. Then his eyes drifted shut, and after several minutes his breathing even out and he fell asleep.

Toothless, seeing that Stoick had everything under control, gave Hiccup's hand one last lick with his tongue before turning and walking to the stone slab in the corner. Stoick watched as the dragon sprayed fire around in a circle, then lay down, his head tucked under his wing.

Stoick turned back to Hiccup, grabbing the rag and placing it back onto Hiccup's forehead. He smiled down at his son's peaceful face, and he felt that warm feeling return to his chest.

And he knew, that nothing- nothing- could every break his promise. He'd protect Hiccup against anything that dared come close to harm his little boy.

 **Another sad story! What is wrong with me? *slaps self in face* Don't worry peeps, that should be my last sad and slightly depressing with lots of feels one-shot for a little while. But I've been in the mood to do a sad Stoick and Hiccup moment ever since I made a music video of Stoick's death that went with the song "Jealous of the Angels" (again, what is wrong with me!?) If you guys want to go check it out, go to my youtube profile. My profile name is FanWriter02, same as here! :D**

 **Tootles for now, and here are the shot-outs I promised!**

* * *

 **AnaWinchester-Universe67- I'll give it my best shot! :D Thanks for the request!**

 **Nightfurylover1112- Haha glad you missed me! XD And I really enjoyed writing your requests. I'm so totally doing your new request, I really like to do Hiccstrid feels… as you already know. :D**

 **RedHal- I know right! That was my favorite moment to and I do believe Hiccup meant quite a bit when he said "Alright, but remember, you asked for this." ;)**

 **training to be a fangirl- Thank you! And yes I plan to write a sort of "filler" for that part. I was wondering the same thing too… Astrid was up in the sky fighting for goodness sake! But believe me, I have a pretty good theory up my sleeve. *gives sneaky smile then dashes off* XD**

 **SailorMew4- Why, thank you! Glad you enjoyed this! :)**

 **Zoha Ven- :D Thanks for the requests and I think I might have a couple more that you requested to do? I'm pretty sure… so keep an eye out! :D**

 **Wildatheart843- Thank you! I'm excited too! ;)**

 **SweetWritingIsMyLife- YAY! :D :D :D :D :D**

 **HeartAngel1796- Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it :) And yeah, I really liked that song so thought I'd include it.**

 **Hershel-moom (guest)- I really like some of your suggestions! Keep an eye out I have a feeling they'll be making an appearance soon! :D**

 **Sorry if I missed anybody… but here's a big THANK YOU to everyone! :D**

 **See you in the next chapter!**


	19. Body Swap!

**Title: Body Swap!**

 **Requested by: Brodmapa**

 **Summary: Astrid wakes up one morning to find that she's not herself at all, but instead Ruffnut! For the most part, she still sounds like herself, but looks like Ruffnut! And when she runs to tell Hiccup, she finds that he's in the same predicament, and is instead Tuffnut! And when they find the twins, Ruffnut's Astrid and Tuffnut's Hiccup. WHAT'S GOING ON HERE!?**

 **Genres: Friendship, Humor**

 **Rating: K**

 **Time-line: Race to the Edge**

 **A/N: Hello peeps! How've you all been? Thanks for the followers I've gotten over the last couple of days! Glad you've all been enjoying these. :) Sorry, brodmapa, that this took so long to finally post. I apologize, but I had a hard time figuring out how to play it out. I think I got it all figured out now though… so enjoy! :D Thank you everybody!**

* * *

Astrid blinked her eyes open, staring up at the ceiling for several seconds before tossing the blankets off and standing up. She stretched, closing her eyes and yawned. She felt sore and stiff from the long day she, Hiccup, and the twins had had yesterday. The four had left Fishlegs and Snotlout to guard the Edge while they'd gone out exploring. But by late that afternoon they'd gotten caught in a fog, so had returned home. But they'd had to walk the whole time, since Hiccup had said that the dragons deserved a day off.

Astrid slouched a bit, scratching her neck in irritation. She paused, her eye widening in confusion when she felt a large thick braid on her shoulder- the wrong side. Usually if she braided her braid to the side, it was on the left- never the right.

She looked down, shrieking when she noticed the two braids on both her shoulders. And these braids were long- too long to be her hair!

Astrid stumbled back, falling against the bed once more. She held up a piece of her cloths, panting heavily in utter confusion. These… these were Ruffnut's cloths! Not hers! And her hair… what happened to her _HAIR!?_

Astrid jumped to her feet, rushing over to a bucket of water in the corner. She stared at her reflection in utter shock. WHAT HAD HAPPENED!?

The twins. This was their fault. They'd played some cruel trick on her- switched her cloths out for Ruffnuts. And- somehow fixed her hair to look like Ruffnut's too. Yes. That's what's happened. Perfectly reasonable explanation.

Astrid straightened up, realizing that she felt a might bit taller. She ignored it, and instead grabbed her axe and disappeared out the door.

She stomped her way down the platforms, ignoring the beautiful and scenic morning view spread out before her. She didn't care at the moment, she was too mad.

She paused at Hiccup's door, hesitating a moment before barging inside, not bothering to knock. She could feel how warm her face was in her anger. She needed to talk to Hiccup about those twins- they had gone too far this time! Tie them up! Give them extra chores! Make them PAY!

"HICCUP!" Astrid shouted up from the main floor. Hiccup's bed was up on the platform like patio of his hut, and since she felt too lazy to crawl up the stairs/ladder, she stayed below, tapping her foot impatiently as she heard a startled yelp, then a dull _thud_.

Toothless's head popped up, his ear plates sticking straight up and alert. His eyes flashed across the room, and once he caught sight of her, his ear plates fell back against his head and he gave an irritated look before lowering his head once more.

Hiccup still hadn't made an appearance, and now Astrid was really getting annoyed. "HICCUP! WAKE UP!"

"A-Astrid?" came a weak voice. Astrid's anger immediately melted away at the tone he used, and panic settled in her heart.

"Hiccup!?" Astrid jumped towards the stairs, scuttling up them as fast as she could.

When she got to the top, she hurried over to the bed, where a tangled figure was lying on the side. The thud she'd heard. Hiccup must've been so startled he fell off the bed.

Astrid stepped closer, freezing in place in her shock. What the HECK!?

Hiccup wasn't here at all! What in the archipelago was Tuffnut doing sleeping in Hiccup's hut?

Hiccup (Tuffnut?) was sitting up, and he then picked up on of his dreadlocks in total confusion. He looked back at Astrid, his eyes wide and still rather dazed from sleep. "What?"

Hiccup. It was Hiccup. That was his voice. This couldn't be Tuffnut.

 _What is going on?_

"Hiccup?" Astrid asked in disbelief, taking a small step forward.

"Ruffnut?" Hiccup looked totally confused. He looked back at his bed, then began to stand and crawl back onto it, his body still tangled in the blanket. "I must be dreaming…" he muttered to himself.

Astrid jumped forward, grabbing his arms and turning him to face her. She blinked in surprise, noticing first off how Hiccup's eyes were still the bold, forest green color they've always been- looking out of place on Tuffnut's face. This was so weird… where was Hiccup?

Hiccup blinked back at her, seeming to have noticed something was off as well. "Why- Why do you sound like Astrid but look like Ruffnut?"

Astrid shook her head. "I don't know. But I do know we have to go and find the twins, and get this thing straightened out. I have a feeling they played a hand in this."

Hiccup nodded before standing up, bending down to unwrap the blankets from himself. Astrid waited, gazing off at the wall in a mixture of shock and irritation. Her anger with the twins was returning, and now that they'd done the same thing to Hiccup… it got her all the more frustrated.

Astrid whipped her head back to face Hiccup when she heard him give a little gasp. At first she couldn't tell what was wrong with him, but then she noticed that he was staring down at his legs.

 _Legs._

Astrid mentally slapped herself. Of course! Tuffnut had both his legs, and Hiccup wasn't used to that…

Hiccup looked up at her, his dreadlocks flopping all over the place. One landed across his mouth, and he hurried to blow it away with a look of disgust. If he didn't look so utterly confused and shocked, Astrid would've laughed at his opinion of having dreadlocks.

"Hiccup…" she said softly.

"WHAT IS GOING ON!?" Hiccup exploded. He fell back against the bed, his dreadlocks once again flopping over his face. He spits them out, giving them a hateful glare.

Toothless had jumped up at Hiccup's shout, and was now staring at them worriedly. Hiccup lifted his head, and smiled reassuringly at the dragon. "It's okay, bud. Go back to sleep." Toothless blinked several times before laying back down, and curling back into a ball.

"I don't know." Astrid answered, placing a finger on her chin as she tried to think. She picked up her axe again, swinging it against her shoulder. Finally, she let her hand fall, and she grabbed Hiccup's wrist, pulling him to stand. "Let's go find those twins and KILL them."

She began to walk towards the stairs, but stopped when she noticed that Hiccup was struggling to follow her. She let go of his hand and turned around, having barely enough time to catch him before he crumpled to the ground.

"Hiccup!? Is something wrong?" Astrid asked, her worry returning.

Hiccup shook his head and pushed his hands against her shoulders, steading himself. He stared back down at his left leg wonderingly. Astrid realized, even before he explained. "I-It's been three years since I've actually walked on a real leg… just not used to it I guess."

Astrid felt remorseful immediately, not knowing how she hadn't realized that before. "Oh, Hiccup. I-I'm sorry… I should've known."

Hiccup shook his head with a shaky smile. "Naw. It's fine. Besides, this is just a dream and-"

Astrid gave a little laugh. "No it isn't, Hiccup."

"Yes, it is."

Astrid stopped laughing and looked at him sternly. "No. It's not. I'm here, you're there, and this is real. Here." Astrid reached forward and pinched him on the arm. He visibly flinched, and his eyes widened even more.

"Okay, now I'm really confused."

"So am I." Astrid agreed. "So, let's go find those twins."

She grabbed his hand again, and this time slowly let him down the stairs. He stumbled multiple times, and at one point she had to catch him or else he would've face planted on the floor below.

"This is so weird." Hiccup muttered as he held up his left leg. "It's like getting used to my prosthetic all over again."

Astrid smiled, "Which one do you like better? Prosthetic or flesh?"

Hiccup hesitated, then answered, "Well, at the moment, I'm not entirely sure. But I know I'd choose a flesh one if I had my real body. I'll take _two_ medal legs if I can just back… well… _me_."

Astrid nodded in understanding. "Yeah, I want the real me back too… and the real you. Although I have to say it is rather funny watching you as Tuffnut."

Hiccup looked puzzled. "Why?"

Astrid smiled again, "It's hilarious to watch you with dreadlocks."

Hiccup tried to look mad, but the smile he wore gave away that he didn't really mean it. "You little-" he said, reaching out and poking her in the side.

Astrid laughed again, before grabbing his hand and leading him to the door. He was getting used to having a leg again, so he really didn't need her help at all. But she liked how his hand fit in hers, and how their fingers intertwined. She gave a little shiver, a warm feeling settling in her chest.

They stepped outside, and Astrid blinked to adjust her eyes to the brightness now that the sun was now just resting above the horizon. She didn't have time to enjoy it however, for a racket began to pick up. The sound of stuff clanging and clattering along with a mixture of shouts and laughing.

And _where_ did it come from?

The twins hut. _Where else?_

Astrid and Hiccup both turned towards it and rushed dowont he plat form to reach it. Before they could enter the door, it swung open, and somebody stumbled out.

Both Astrid and Hiccup froze in shock as they watched the real Astrid and Hiccup stumble out. The first thing that Astrid noticed was that the real Hiccup's eyes were a deep blue, and she knew immediately who this was, even before they tried to talk.

Tuffnut (who looks like Hiccup) was clinging to Ruffnut's arm (Ruffnut looked exactly like Astrid). If Astrid hadn't been so shocked, she might've felt sorry for Tuffnut as he collapsed to the ground, obviously unsteady due to the medal leg.

The twins (or Hiccup and Astrid… gosh this is confusing XD) stared right back at Hiccup and Astrid, their jaws slack in shock.

Nobody moved. The four just stood- or laid, in Tuffnut's case- staring at each other. A pin could've been heard, that was how quiet it was.

"Oh. My. Thor." Ruffnut said, and Astrid gave a little jump when her body spoke, but it was Ruffnut's voice that came out.

"Give me back my body!" Tuffnut demanded, jumping at Hiccup and clawing at him. Hiccup shook him off, grabbing his arms and hauling him to his feet.

Tuffnut stumbled backwards, totally off balance. He grabbed the doorframe, clinging to it for dear life.

"WHAT'S GOING ON!" everyone shouted at once. They looked at each other in confusion.

"This is so weird." Ruffnut said, staring at Astrid. "What did you do?"

"What did I DO!?" Astrid exploded. She poked Ruffnut in the chest threatingly. "What did YOU do? I woke up like this!" Astrid gestured to her Ruffnut body, giving Ruffnut a glare at the same time. "I want me back and I want me back NOW."

"Same for me." Ruffnut agreed. "But we didn't' do this! How would we?"

Astrid fell silent, all the more confused. How- what- where…?

Hiccup held his arms out, and Tuffnut just couldn't seem to tearh is eyes away from him. Tuffnut's jaw was still slack in absolute shock.

"Okay, let's stay calm. I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation for this." Hiccup said, still gesturing with his hands wildly. Astrid smiled despite the situation. No matter what, Hiccup was still Hiccup.

"Wow. I look better then I thought I did." Tuffnut suddenly said. He pulled himself to his feet, plopping down onto a barrel that sat nearby.

Hiccup looked at him with a half glare, half irritated look. When he'd turned his head, his dreadlocks had swung and flew across his face. He hastily pushed them out of the way.

"I swear, if we don't figure out something soon, I'm going to cut these things off." Hiccup muttered to himself. Astrid couldn't help herself, she began to chuckle quietly.

Hiccup nudged her again teasingly, and she giggled even more. Ruffnut shoved her aside and walked over to the edge of the platform.

"Okay, so how are we going to fix this?" Ruffnut demanded, turning to face them.

Tuffnut snapped his fingers. "I've got it!"

Astrid was momentarily distracted. She had to say, it was rather unnerving seeing Hiccup's body, but having Tuffnut the one talking. It was… just like she said. VERY unnerving.

"What?" Hiccup asked with a sigh of exasperation.

"This is all Snotlout's fault!" Tuffnut exclaimed. "He did something. I don't know what but he did something."

"I don't really think anybody could do this, Tuffnut." Said Hiccup. He looked up at the sky, putting on a thinking face as he focused.

Ruffnut paced back and forth while Tuffnut watched her. Astrid just stood there, rather awkwardly. This was so weird. Did this mean that Hiccup and she were now siblings? No. Oh, dear gods, she hoped not. She didn't want Hiccup as a brother!

Hiccup's face lit up, and Astrid's heart skipped a beat in excitement. Hopefully he'd found a good explanation for all this chaos.

"Guys." Hiccup started slowly, a grin spreading across his face (or Tuffnut's face… seeing how it is his face and- oh nvm) "Remember yesterday? We were out in the middle of the day and suddenly there was that misty fog?"

"Yeah?" Tuffnut asked in a bored tone. "So?"

"I have a feeling that stuff was some sort of acid- maybe from a dragon even. We should go check the Book of Dragons. Maybe there's something in there."

Astrid was getting excited. Finally! Mabey, they could get this mess cleaned up.

"Then let's go!" Astrid said excitedly. She turned and began towards the clubhouse, Hiccup and Ruffnut following close behind.

They were stopped when Tuffnut called out behind them "Hey! Don't leave me here! I can't walk! Remember?"  
Everyone turned around and stared at Tuffnut, before Hiccup sighed and walked over, grabbing Tuffnut's arm and slinging it over his shoulder.

"So, how does it feel being in my _shoe_?" Hiccup asked, grinning. "Wow, never thought I'd tease myself with a leg joke."

Tuffnut didn't look amused as he hobbled alongside Hiccup, hanging onto him madly. "Haha, classic comedian."

Astrid smiled, but it still felt odd to see Hiccup so… different. I mean, she loved him either way but-

 _Loved._

Man, she'd never said that little word before in her mind like that. I mean, she'd thought of it, but she'd never ever thought the actual word love.

She shook it off when they reached the clubhouse door and entered. Tuffnut was still whining about hurrying up and getting his body back because he hated having a prosthetic, while Hiccup continued to tell him how he now knew what he had to deal with.

Fishlegs and Snotlout were both inside the clubhouse, and Astrid sighed heavily at the thought of having to explain to them what was going on.

Fishlegs noticed them and smiled, holding up a handful of papers. But then he noticed how Hiccup was holding onto Tuffnut (who Fishlegs thought was Hiccup because… well he looked like Hiccup!) and his face fell.

"Goodness, Hiccup is something wrong!?" Fishlegs squeaked scurrying across the room to face them. Snotlout also walked over, albeit calmer then Fishlegs had.

Hiccup sighed and dropped Tuffnut off in a chair. "Yeah, I'm fine." Hiccup answered.

Fishlegs shook his head with a little glare. "I wasn't talking to you, Tuffnut, I was talking to Hiccup." Fishlegs pointed at Tuffnut who was slouched on a chair, glaring at the prosthetic.

"I want my foot back!" Tuffnut complained.

"What the..?" Fishleg's muttered in confusion. "Hiccup, why do you sound like Tuffnut?"

"Because he is Tuffnut. I'm Hiccup." Hiccup explained, pointing to Tuffnut then himself. "Somehow, us four are all switched around."

"Yeah, I'm Astrid, and Astrid's me." Ruffnut added.

"Woah, hold up. You really expect us to believe that?" Snotlout interrupted, looking from one face to another.

"It's true, Snotface. That's why I can't walk." Tuffnut responded in his nonchalant tone. Then he switched to one of frustration as he tugged at his prosthetic. "I want my foot back!"

"Well, he certainly sounds like Tuffnut." Fishlegs said, looking puzzled. He looked at Hiccup, eyeing him curiously. "So you're really Hiccup, huh?"

"Yes!" Hiccup exclaimed, waving his hands around again. Fishlegs nodded.

"Yep, you're Hiccup. I don't think anyone could copy you're voice- or your hand gestures."

"Thanks… I think."

Astrid would've laughed, but she was once again distracted. She walked to the table in the corner, picking up the book of Dragons before flipping through it. "What would it be called, do you think?"

Hiccup stepped up behind her, pointing to a section of pages. "Look in the Mystery Class. I'd guess they'd be in the same class as Barf and Belch."

Astrid flips through a few of the pages, stopping when Hiccup cries out abruptly. "Look! There!"

He points to a small dragon, which looks friendly enough. It resembles a Terrible Terror in a way- sort of a mix between Night Terror and Terrible Terror. The drawing made it look mean, and fierce, but Astrid had a feeling that it was probably pretty cute.

"You think that's it?" Astrid asks, looking over her shoulder at Hiccup. He nodded with a slight smile, taking the book from her hands and hastily reading through it.

"Ha! Yep, this is it. This little guy can spray up to forty gallons of acid, and if you breathe it in- you somehow switch minds with the person you're with. If you're not with another human, then you get away unharmed."

"That explains a lot." Astrid said, peering at the book and picked up reading where he'd left off. "The acid will wear off over a couple of days, but there's also a cure. You need to once again breathe in the acid, and you'll return to normal within a few hours.

"Let's go!" Tuffnut shouted, jumping to his feet (er, foot. Oh my, I'm saying this about Tuffnut!?) but he instantly face planted on the floor.

Ruffnut chuckled before going over and grabbing Tuffnut's arm and pulling him up. "I'll help you, bro."

Snotlout stared at them, then back at Hiccup and Astrid. "Go find that dragon and hurry. This is way too weird." He mumbled something to himself before stalking off, shaking his head.

"For once, I agree with Snotlout." Hiccup said, taking off after the twins. Ruffnut was dragging her brother along, while Tuffnut continued to complain.

"Hiccup, how in the archipelago do you even walk with this thing!? You make it look so easy…" Tuffnut groaned, kicking out his bad leg. "I can't wait for you to have this back."

"Same with your hair." Hiccup muttered, pushing the dreadlocks out of his face again. "They're so annoying!"

"Boys, boys." Astrid laughed, shaking her head, her long thick braids flying everywhere.

It took a bit longer to get to the forest because of Tuffnut, but they did it eventually, arriving in the same exact spot they'd found the mist the day before. It was next to a small cliff, and almost immediately the area began to fill with mist.

"Breathe it in! Breathe it in!" Tuffnut shouted, gasping air in and out, in and out. "Come here, my leg!"

Astrid closed her eyes, matching her breathing to Tuffnut's as she gulped in the mist. _Work, work, work._ She thought over and over in her head.

She blinked her eyes open, the mist still surrounding them lightly. She glanced down, and sighed in relief when she noticed she once again had control of herself.

"YES!" she shouted, jumping up and down and hugging herself.

"Thank Thor!" Tuffnut's voice exclaimed in relief. She looked over at the twins, smiling when she saw that Ruffnut was once more Ruffnut and Tuffnut once again Tuffnut. Tuffnut was running around in circles, skipping, and jumping as he shouted repeatedly. "Yes! My leg! I love you leg! So glad you're okay!"

She laughed, then looked around for Hiccup. She didn't see him anywhere, and instantly panicked.

"HICCUP!" she shouted, racing towards where he'd stood moments before.

"Up here, Astrid!" Hiccup's voice called down. She looked up the Cliffside, spotting Hiccup sitting on a overhang, a little red dragon in his arms. "I found the Scrounger!"

"Scrounger?" Astrid asked, confused.

Hiccup held up the little dragon in his arms, and the dragon twisted its head around to lick his cheek. "This is a Scrounger! I named her Pinnt."

Astrid smiled, watching him as he pets the little dragon that continued to snuggled into his arms. Even though, as Astrid had thought before, she loved Hiccup no matter what he looked or sounded like, it was glad to have him back to his normal self. His facial expressions returned to his normal ones, and it just made him… well… Hiccup!

"She's got a nest up here! No wonder she sprayed us." Hiccup explained, glancing back behind him. "Three really tiny eggs!"

Astrid laughed again before grabbing onto the ledge and clambering up to sit beside him. She pat the dragon on the head, then pulled back her fist and punched Hiccup's arm.

"Owch! What the-" Hiccup exclaimed, more in shock then pain. He looked over at Astrid, his eyes wide. "What was that for?"

Astrid shrugged. "I don't really know. I just felt like punching somebody, and you ended up being the lucky candidate." She grinned at him, then leaned forward and pecked his cheek with a kiss. She laughed again at his shocked expression.

"And that's for you to figure out on your own." She laughed.

 **Gosh, this turned out to be rather long! XD But, oh well. You guys deserved a longer one anyways because I didn't update yesterday. *slaps self in face* If I get enough time I'll try and update again on here today… but I'm not promising anything because I also have to update on We're Here For You. :D**

 **Thanks everyone, see you in the next one!**


	20. Once Alone

**Title: Once Alone**

 **Requested by: AnaWinchester-Univers67**

 **Summary: Hiccup tells Heather how life used to be for him before the Red Death.**

 **Genres: Hurt/Comfort, Friendship**

 **Rating: K**

 **Time-Line: Race to the Edge**

 **A/N: Hope you enjoy this! Oh, and a quick thing, this is not a Hiccup and Heather pairing! Not at all! This is just a little bit of friendship between the two, because as you all know, I ship Hiccstrid like crazy. XD**

* * *

 _I didn't kill our father…_

Heather sighed, and felt tears build up once again. Had she been wrong about Dagur? Had she been the reason why he died? Had she killed her… her brother?

She stifled a sob as she sat there on the edge of the stable landing pad on Dragon's Edge. She was happy she was there, with friends. But at that moment, she'd never felt more alone. Even Windshear wasn't there to comfort her this time, having gone off with the other dragons to find food. She was alone. Alone. Alone. Alone.

The word kept playing over and over in her head. She had no parents. She had not brother. She had no family.

She did have friends though.

She sighed and buried her head in her knees as she drew them closer to her, curling up into a small ball. She sobbed, praying silently that no one would see or hear her.

"Heather?" came a voice from behind her. She ceased her crying immediately, freezing in her spot, hoping that if she didn't move Hiccup would leave.

"A-Are you okay?"

Hiccup's voice was closer this time. Drat, he'd seen her crying. Or heard her, she didn't really know.

"Go away, Hiccup." She choked, hating herself for sounding so hoarse.

She didn't lift her head when she felt somebody sit down beside her. She scooted away, but somebody grabbed her arm, keeping her from moving.

"Do you need to talk about it?" Hiccup asked gently. He began to pry her arms from around her knees, so that he could see her face. She glanced over at him, noticing his worried gentle eyes. She smiled through her tears, hoping to reassure him somewhat that she was "fine".

Not that she was.

"Really, I'll be fine." Heather said while mopping up her tears with her sleeve. "Seriously…"

Hiccup didn't budge, in fact, he settled in even more, leaning back on his hands as he stared at the sunset. It had drizzled earlier that day, but now the sun had broken through the clouds to dry out the world before nightfall.

"I'm really sorry about today, Heather. Even if you won't say it, I know you and Dagur had a connection. You two are family, and nothing can change that fact." Hiccup said matter-of-factly, but caring all the same. She looked over at him, but he wasn't looking at her, instead his gaze fixed on the disappearing sun.

"You need to talk about it?" Hiccup asked softly. "I-I want to help Heather. You're my friend, and I hate seeing you like this."

"Sorry." Heather muttered, wincing at the harsh tone she used. She hadn't meant for it to come out that way, it just slipped out without her correcting it.

Hiccup fell silent, and again Heather glanced over at him from her head's place on her knees. He was still staring off at the sunset, but his eyes were bright with concern.

Heather sighed, then whispered quietly, "I-I just feel like… maybe it was my fault. And… and I feel alone. No brother, no family…" her voice trailed off, then she picked it up again, "I just feel like maybe, if I had listened, Dagur would be here. And- and I'd have a _real_ family for once… again."

Hiccup listened silently, never once interrupting her short explanation. Several seconds passed, then he began talking in that same quiet tone.

"I know how you feel."

Heather jerked her head up and stared at him, startled. No he didn't! He didn't' have a clue! He had no idea what it's like to be alone. To have nobody in your life. To have no family. He DIDN'T know!

"No… you DON'T Hiccup." Heather replied firmly and a bit harsher then she'd originally inteneded. She didn't look at him, but if she had, she would've seen him stiffen, and his brow crease.

"No… not entirely. But… I have an idea."

"NO. YOU DON'T!" Heather said heatedly. Now she was getting annoyed. How dare he think he knew how she felt! She bet he'd never been alone before in his life! "You're a big deal! You're the "leader" of the dragon riders! You train dragons! Everyone likes you, everyone respects you, you could have the life of luxury if you so demanded! Because you are the dragon tamer! You have tons of friends who count you as family, you have a terrific and loyal dragon… YOU HAVE A FAMILY!"

She fell back, her face flushed in anger. She stared at Hiccup, her breath coming in short spurts as she tried to catch her breath. Hiccup's face was pale- well, paler, and his face was blank. It took a moment for her to calm down, and once she did, she realized what she said.

"oh… Hiccup… I…" she stuttered, her anger disappearing. He looked immensely hurt, and his expression tore at her heart. "I-I'm so sorry… I didn't mean…"

 _Yes, you did_. Said a voice from inside her head. It was right. She had meant what she'd said. And what she said was right. _He didn't understand_. He couldn't. He had his Dad, he had a village who loved and cared for him, he had a someday-girlfriend (if Astrid and Hiccup just admitted that they loved each other already, geez) and he had a ton of friends who were even willing to follow him across the achipeligo and fight Dragon Hunters with him. He had an awesome dragon who she was sure would remain loyal to him until the end.

He had NO idea what it was like to be alone.

"You don't know how it feels to be alone." She whispered, tears once again beginning to stream down her cheeks.

Hiccup looked away and sighed heavily. Heather again felt a wave of guiltiness wash over her, but she ignored it. No. He didn't know. She didn't need to apologize.

"I don't think I could ever forget…" Hiccup mumbled so quietly that Heather almost didn't hear him. But she did, and her mind filled with confusion.

"What?" She asked, curiosity getting the better of her. She looked at him, and he turned back to face her. "Forget what?"

Hiccup blinked, and said slowly, "Being alone."

Heather again felt rage fill her, but she bit it down. Fine. Let's here his explanation and get this over with.

"You? Alone?" Heather said, her voice steely. "Since when?"

"Since three years ago." Came the answer.

Heather stopped, her thoughts of rebuking him again screeching to a complete halt.

She'd never really thought about what life had been for Hiccup before she'd met him. When they'd first met, it had appeared that everyone adored him. Everyone liked him, he had friends, his Dad was protective and loved him. Hiccup had a big dragon for a pet, and everyone asked for his opinion and spoke of him with respect.

But that had been two years ago. She'd never been told what life had been for Hiccup before that.

"What… what do you mean?"

Hiccup looked over at her, his eyes revealing how hesitant he was. Heather for a moment lost herself to thought. Hiccup's eyes were so expressionful… she could almost read what he wanted to say just by looking at his eyes.

"Well… for the first fifteen y ears of my life, nobody really liked me."

Heather's mind halted once more, all thoughts vacating her brain. _What did he just say?_ Nobody _liked_ him? What happened to change _that_ little fact?

"What- why?" Heather asked, totally bemused.

Hiccup sighed and looked down at himself as though ashamed of who he was. "I wasn't Viking materiel… still aren't." he replied. "I was scrawny- even scrawnier then I am now or what I was when we first met. I was small, weak, couldn't lift any weapon for the life of me, and I was… well worthless. Snotlout and the twins even started calling me "Hiccup the Useless". Not long after that that became my official nick-name."

Heather couldn't believe. Really, she couldn't. But she knew Hiccup was telling the truth, because he was a terrible liar. And he didn't lie about stuff like this in the first place. And he didn't stretch the truth either. She knew he wasn't lying, but it was still hard to believe.

"I-I disappointed Dad. I became nothing but a bother to him- heck, I couldn't do anything _to_ make him proud of me." Hiccup continued.

Heather was having a hard time processing everything. Was all that true? Had Stoick really once-upon-a-time not liked Hiccup?

"He-He ignored me for the most part. Put me in the forge with Gobber so I wouldn't get into trouble or embarrass him more. I understand that now… I was an embarrassment to him, and I continually made it worse as I tried to prove to him that I wasn't useless."

 _Embarrassment? Trouble? Useless?_

Was this seriously Hiccup he was talking about?

"No one liked me." Hiccup went on. "Snotlout, the twins- even Fishlegs- they ignored me or teased me for being weak. Astrid-" he paused, and chuckled softly. "I had a crush on her ever since I was eight. Got all googly eyed whenever she passed and would try to take after her- Gobber would grab me and tell me to focus."

Heather smiled besides herself. So, she'd been right. Hiccup did like Astrid. Not that she hadn't known that before. It was rather obvious although he seemed to think he did a good job of hiding it. Which- he did. From Astrid anyways.

"She was never actually mean to me like the others, but she did ignore me. And didn't try to stop the others. I don't blame her- not wanting to hang out with me. She was big and popular, a warrior. It would've ruined her name to hang out with me- useless."

Heather stared at him, not able to comprehend anything he was saying at all. This couldn't be the Hiccup she knew!

"Everything changed when I met Toothless." Hiccup went on. "We used to kill dragons, and I was bent on killing one- to prove to my Dad that I could be a true Viking even if I was weak. I built this catapult thingy that I dubbed "The Mangler". I snuck out of the forge one night during a dragon raid and used it to shoot down Toothless. Nobody believed me when I said I shot it down- honestly, I don't blame them. It is rather unbelievable that I- Hiccup the Useless- shot down a _Night Fury_ , the offspring of lightning and death itself.

"Dad was mad. But I went off anyways to kill Toothless and bring back his heart to my Dad, to show him that I was a Viking. I found Toothless in the woods, wounded, and I just… couldn't bring myself to kill him. I looked at him, and I saw myself. Fear."

Heather listened carefully now, for she'd never gotten the full story of how Hiccup had trained Toothless. Even Astrid hadn't told her about the past, nothing like this. She'd mentioned a few things here and there, but nothing to this extent.

"I let him go, and Toothless flew off. I went back to the village, where my Dad put me into dragon training. I don't know why he suddenly changed his mind about me and dragon killing, but he did it, and he couldn't've done it at a worse time." Hiccup sighed and leaned forward, his forearms resting on his legs. "I went back the next day after dragon killing practice, and found Toothless in the cove. I discovered that he was missing his tailfin from when I shot him down with the Mangler, and I resolved to go back and help him get food and such, because he was trapped in the cove and couldn't get out to get any on his own."

"I kept visiting Toothless, and bringing him food and soon, we were friends- he was really my only friend and at the time I think I was his only friend too. I discovered different tricks about training dragons from him, like using Dragon Nip to calm them down or Stormfly's soft spot and how they're playful… and well just everything. I built a saddle and tailfin for Toothless, and we learned how to fly."

Heather listened attentively now, Hiccup having caught her full attention. Was he going to tell her about how he lost his leg? She'd never gotten the full story on that either. All she knew was that he lost it while Battling the Red Death.

"Astrid got really suspicious after I won the last test for Dragon Killing, and I was going to have to kill a dragon in the next round. She followed me out to the cove to visit Toothless- good thing she did too or else everything would've changed."

"I told her about Toothless and she realized what I had- that they weren't what we thought they were. Toothless took us to the Dragon's nest when we got caught up in a feeding frenzy, and that's when we learned the truth about the Red Death. It forced the dragons to hunt for it, or else it would eat them. That's why they raided us."

"Astrid told me to tell my Dad, but I didn't. Instead I tried training the dragon- Hoookfang- the next day in the killing arena. Everyone was gathered, and I almost had Hookfang completely trained until my Dad ordered the fight to be stopped. Toothless came and saved me just in time, but Dad locked him up. He yelled at me, and told me that I wasn't…" Hiccup's voice trailed off, and he gulped before finishing "He disowned me. Said he didn't want me as his son."

Heather gasped, wondering how she'd never heard about this before. Why had no one told her?

"Dad took Toothless and went to the Dragon's nest. Astrid- again- talked sense into me and we- the gang, me and Astrid- went after them. We arrived just as the Red Death was destroying the Viking ships and Vikings alike. But the gang did an awesome job of distracting it and getting it… well mad. I went and rescued Toothless- and my Dad… he apologized." Hiccup smiled distantly, almost as though he didn't realize he was talking to her anymore. "Me and Toothless got the Red Death to fly, and we were able to shoot it down. It crashed, but Toothless's tailfin was burnt… and it broke off… I couldn't control the tailfin anymore."

Heather held her breath, already knowing where this was heading. Hiccup's leg.

"We were trying to get out of the way- Toothless flying as fast as possible. The Red Death had crashed had first, and we were trying to escape the explosion of flames before they got us… the tailfin fell off and the tail came up and whacked me right of Toothless. That's really all I remember."

Heather released her breathe, gulping in air in her anticipation for him to finish he story. Well, she knew he ended up losing a leg but being fine… but how had people come to like him?

"I woke up with Toothless in the hut and without a leg. I didn't mind too much though- me and Toothless matched." Hiccup laughed quietly, then looked at her. "Sorry… I didn't mean to get so carried away, I-"

"No, go on." Heather prompted, scooting around so she could face him easier. Hiccup smiled quickly before looking back at the skyline, where the sun had long since disappeared and now only a orange haze remained.

"Berk had totally changed. Dragons were everywhere and the Vikings were riding them and- Dad came up and actually hugged me. He patted my back and said that I was needed. Wanted. Needed." Hiccup paused, "People actualy seemed happy to see me, and they all apologized for how they'd acted before. The gang became my best friends- obviously." He gestured to the huts around them "And Astrid-" he paused and cleared his throat with an awkward smile. "She kissed me. Nearly gave me a heart attack."

Heather chuckled lightly, glad to hear it. Hopefully they kissed again soon.

"That's about it." Hiccup finished with a shrug. "I became a the "Dragon Tamer" and still couldn't keep myself out of trouble. Klutzy, danger prone, lightening rod-"

"Lightening rod..?" Heather said in confusion. Hiccup continued on though, without offering an explanation.

"But Toothless was always there, no matter what. He helped me through whatever we came across."

Silence fell, and Heather began to think. Maybe she and Hiccup weren't as different as she thought. Dagur had called Hiccup "brother" although she still didn't know why. She knew that they were for sure not "brothers". But maybe it was some sort of link they had… and maybe she shared that link too.

She grabbed Hiccup's shoulder and turned him to face her, and she took a deep breath before saying. "I'm sorry, Hiccup. I-I didn't mean to hurt you when I yelled at you like that. Do you forgive me?"

Hiccup grinned. "Of course, I do. But only if you promise not to down yourself anymore- and that you know you're not alone. You've got all of us- we're your friends."

Heather nodded, then pulled him into a hug. "Thanks Hiccup."

Hiccup was rather stiff, and just patted her shoulder awkwardly.

She pulled away and looked at the stars that were beginning to appear and she pushed herself to her feet with a little sigh. "Guess, I'd better get home."

Hiccup also climbed to his feet. "See you tomorrow, Heather."

She nodded, then with a twinkle in her eye, "See ya… brother."

Hiccup grinned, then turned and headed towards his hut. "Same to you, sis."


	21. Stay With Me

**Title: Stay With Me**

 **Requested by: Nightfurylover1112 and brodmapa**

 **Summary: Astrid wakes up that night she went blind, and she panics, fearing that maybe Hiccup did leave her and she's all alone. But Hiccup comforts her, promising her he'll stay with her… no matter what.**

 **Genre: Hurt/Comfort**

 **Rating: K**

 **Time-line: Race to the Edge**

 **A/N: Hiccstrid, Hiccstrid, and more HICCSTRID! I love it! I can't contain myself. XD Thanks for this request, and down below I'll put the names of the people who have made requests! Thanks again!**

* * *

Astrid blinked felt herself dragging into wakefulness slowly, as though she were being dragged through honey to a light that was coming slowly, slowly. She saw that light, and opened her eyes to welcome it.

But there was nothing. It was pitch black, and everything came rushing back to her. Everything.

The stables, the dragons, the lightening. Blinding light, light, light, light. Pain… nothingness. NOTHING. Darkness, no color. Absolute nothing.

She panicked, she couldn't stop herself. She felt her breathing deepen and grow raspy. She began to hyperventilate in her panic. Was she alone? Where was she? Lying down- on the floor she had guessed. Yes, lying down. She was supposed to be asleep. Was she by herself? What if something happened? What if Dragon Hunters attacked, and she's all alone. Where was Stormfly? Where's Hiccup? Help! Help! Help! Alone, alone, alone…

"Astrid! Astrid, calm down, it's alright."

Thank gods, it was Hiccup. Astrid immediately relaxed, her breathing evening out. Oh, thank goodness, Hiccup was there. He was there, she was safe with him. Nothing could hurt her. Not even the lightening. She was safe.

Hiccup's here. She's not alone. Hiccup, Hiccup, Hiccup…

"Hiccup?" she whispered fearfully. Maybe she'd just imagine it, had just imagine his voice. She couldn't see him, and at the moment she couldn't feel him either. Her body felt numb, and when she moved her finger she couldn't feel the movement. Was Hiccup there at all? Was she going crazy in her blindness and imagining his voice?

"I'm here, Astrid…"

Is he? Is he really there? She lifted up her hand to try and touch him, to make sure she wasn't' hallucinating. But she still couldn't feel anything.

"Where? I-I can't find you…"

"Right here, I'm holding your hand. Feel it?"

No. No, she didn't She felt numb… why couldn't she feel his hand? Where was he!?

"Hiccup! Hiccup where are you!?"

"I'm here- so is Toothless. We're here, Astrid!"

"Where? I-I can't feel your hand…"

Suddenly, she felt herself being lifted up and held tight in someone's arms. She tensed up out of habit, but then she relaxed, letting herself be held. She buried her face into Hiccup's shoulder, trying to hold in the sob. Her senses were returning, and now she could feel Hiccup's hand in hers. His grip was strong, but his hold on her gentle. He was sitting up, and she was half laying half sitting in his lap. He rocked back and forth, whispering soothing, calming words.

Astrid sighed, trying to calm herself. Hiccup was here. He'd protect her. Nothing would get to her as long as he was there. Deep down she knew she was safe, but that immediate fear was still at the surface, and she couldn't shake it on her own.

"H-Hiccup…" she whispered.

"Shh… I'm here, Astrid. We're not going anywhere. You're safe…"

Yes. Yes, she's safe. She's alright. Hiccup's there, no lightening, no stables. She's alright. Everything's fine. Fine, fine, fine, _fine_ …

She began shaking, the vision coming back again in her mind. The lightening, the blinding light. Pain, flying through the air. Thunder, rain, nothing…

"Shh… Astrid, you're alright. Nothing can hurt you now. Toothless is right here next to you, and he won't let anything get near you. I promise."

It's not that. It's the darkness, there's no escape from it. Her eyes are open, but no images appear. Only blackness. And nothing.

"It's not that…" Astrid whispered, trying desperately not to cry. But her mind was a muddled mess, and she just couldn't seem to sort her emotions. She wanted to cry, she wanted to yell, she wanted to fight, she wanted to give in… and in the end, she just ended up crying. She could feel the tears stinging her cheeks, and she swiped them away angrily. No, she's a warrior! Don't cry!

No, she wasn't a warrior… anymore. She was weak and vulnerable now. She couldn't see, she couldn't fight, she couldn't battle anymore. She couldn't… could she even be a dragon rider anymore?

"Astrid…"

"I can't do anything, anymore…" Astrid sobbed, leaning her face against his shoulder. Hiccup never stopped rocking back and forth, and the rythmetic movement was making her tired. It was lulling her, sleep beckoning her again…

"Yes you can, Astrid. Just because your blind doesn't mean you can't do anything-"

"Yes it does." Astrid sobbed harder, "I won't even be able to live here anymore- with all the ramps and ladders and- Hiccup, I'm useless now. I don't even know if I'll be able to ride Stormfly…"

"You will, Astrid. I guarantee that. And you're not leaving either. You're still a dragon rider, and… and we'll fix up the Edge. So you don't need to stay to the buildings. Astrid, we can work it out…"

Hiccup's voice was soft and caring, and the tone he used only made her cry harder. She clung to him all the more, sobbing her heart out. Hiccup let go of her hand and instead rubbed her back in circular motions, a comforting gesture.

Finally, Astrid's cries turned into little hiccup's, and her eyes were closed- not that that made a difference anyway- her breathing settling down somewhat to little gasps. But Hiccup still rocked her back and forth and rubbed her back, and she could feel herself drifting back to sleep.

"It's all going to be okay, Astrid. Don't worry. Tomorrow, we'll get this all settled. Alright?"

Astrid nodded silently, mainly because she was too exhausted to care. Her emotions were still juggling around in side of her, and she was getting tired of it. She hardly felt this- this weakness. She had always been a strong, calm, sensible warrior. But this- this _blindness_ and _weakness_ \- had shaken her.

She felt herself moving, and once again she was lying on the hard floor- or bed, both were hard. She closed her eyes, then felt a blanket pulled over her body. She snuggled into it, feeling reassured at last.

Hiccup's hand grabbed hold of hers, and she smiled. Hiccup was here, he'd protect her. He wouldn't let anything hurt her.

She was safe.

 **So… short!**

 **But here's a little (little) something for you. Lots of Hiccstrid feels. Gotta love those two dorks!**

 **Thanks everyone for the requests! Here's everyone who I know is still waiting for a Fanfiction hat they've requested:**

* * *

 **training to be a fangirl**

 **Hershel-moon**

 **movielover48**

 **SweetWritingIsMyLife**

 **That's it! So I don't have as many requests left as I thought I had… which is good! Means I'm catching up. I was so far behind there for awhile…**

 **If I missed anyone, please repost your request in the reviews and I'll write it down! :D And, of course, if you have new requests go ahead and PM me or review! Thanks guys and see you next chapter!**


	22. Worthy

**Title: Worthy**

 **Requested by: Hershel-moon**

 **Summary: When some Dragon Hunters make a surprise attack on the Dragon Riders, they're all captured but Hiccup. Frustrated and angry at the Hunters, Hiccup fights them off and frees his friends, but gets injured in the process.**

 **Genre: Friendship, Hurt/Comfort**

 **Rating: T for injury**

 **Time-line: Race to the Edge**

 **A/N: Okay, so my list of people who made requests has changed, and here's the reason why. For whatever reason, I'm no longer getting all the reviews in my email anymore, so I missed quite a few requests (so sorry!) but I fixed it now, and I'm pretty sure I've got all the requests now. I'll put the updated list down below, and thank you guys! :D**

* * *

 _"Scary, scary, scary, bad dragon…"_ Snotlout hummed.

"Snotlout, would you please, _try_ to shut up?" Ruffnut asked irritably. Both she and Tuffnut had been silent for most of the journey, the two having fought over who had the most scars that morning. Now, neither were speaking to each other, and they were both miserable because of it.

But Astrid was happy, and neither the twins or Snotlout could bring her off her happy cloud. She and Stormfly had completed a new move that morning, and it had automatically put her in a good mood. Which was probably a good thing, or those twins and Snotlout would all have gotten a harsh talking too.

Hiccup was flying ahead, and all though Astrid was over fifteen feet away, she could still hear him talking excitedly to Toothless. The dragon would coo back every now and then, as though responding to Hiccup's rambling, but otherwise just flew, a little smile on his scaly face. Astrid smiled too, glad to see Hiccup in such a light-hearted mood.

It was a good day- all in all. They were going out on patrol, because Snotlout had claimed he saw a strange new dragon in the forest, words that instantly set Hiccup and Fishlegs off on their dragon geeking. Astrid shook her head, because when Hiccup and Fishlegs went into their dragon mode, it was like trying to understand a different language.

"Oh! This is so exciting!" Fishleg's squealed. "A whole new species of dragon? It's been so long since we've found one!"

"I know, Fishlegs!" Hiccup laughed, and the sound made Astrid smile. She couldn't stop herself, it made her happy to know he was happy.

"Hey, guys…" Tuffnut said slowly.

"I mean, what if it's a mystery class! That would be-"

"Guys…" Tuffnut said again.

"Or a Stalker!" Fishlegs rambled on.

"Guys!" Tuffnut shouted. Astrid looked at him, wondering what he could possibly want now. Another bathroom break? Most likely.

"Look!"

Astrid looked down at stared in shock. There, in a small clearing below them were Dragon Hunters, armed with large bola crossbows and arrows.

"LOOK OUT!" Astrid shouted, just as the men fired. But she didn't yell soon enough. Bola's flew through the air, one wrapping around Snotlout and Hookfang. Snotlout let out a surprised yelp before he and Hookfang began tumbling towards the ground below. Another net trapped Barf and Belch around the heads and one wing. The dragon struggled to stay in the air, but it was quickly dropping.

Hiccup swung around, and barely missed getting Toothless's tail trapped. Meatlug, being the slowest out of the dragons, was caught next, the net completing surround her and Fishlegs. The dragon's wings stopped beating, and the two instantly began sinking to the ground like a stone.

"ASTRID LOOK OUT!" Hiccup shouted, but it was too late. She'd been too distracted, and a net came up and wound its way around her body and Stormfly's head and wings. Stormfly screeched as she began falling, her wings no longer able to move.

…

"ASTRID!" Hiccup shouted, while at the same time avoiding another bola along with arrows. He pulled Toothless up higher into the air, unable to get closer to the falling riders without getting caught himself. He stared in horror, anger, and shock as the Dragon Hunters dragged the Riders over to a tree and tying them to it, each separately. He winced when one of the Riders pushed Astrid against the tree, having to a bit rougher with her since she was struggling like crazy. Snotlout was being dragged over to a tree, and he looked unresponsive. Hiccup supposed he'd been knocked out in the crash, and prayed his cousin would be alright.

Hiccup struggled with himself, trying to decide on wether or not he should dive down and rescue them- which he really really wanted to do- or if he should fly off and get reinforcements.

What reinforcements? He was the only one not captured. Berk was miles away- and by the time help came from there, the dragon hunters would be long gone.

Hiccup gritted his teeth when one of the Dragon Hunters hit Hookfang on the head with a heavy hammer like club. Then, his eyes hastily switched to where Astrid was tied, his entire being filling with rage when one of the Hunter's slapped her across the face. He could feel his face heat up in anger, and he automatically urged Toothless forward. Toothless didn't hesitate, never once doubting Hiccup's decision, so dived down at a blinding speed.

Hiccup gasped when he felt he net wrap around them, and he shook himself out of his angry daze. He struggled against it, he and Toothless falling faster than ever. Hiccup reached into the saddle bags, pulling out inferno and hurrying to ignite it. Before he could, they hit the ground with a painful jerk, thrusting Hiccup out of the saddle and getting tangled in the net even more. Toothless barely stopped his momentum in time to keep Hiccup from being squawshed beneath him. Hiccup breathed heavily, gasping to get back the air that had just been knocked clean out of his lungs.

A Dragon Hunter stepped forward, holding a jagged but sharp battle axe towards him. Hiccup struggled to ignite Inferno, praying over and over that it would light up before the men reached them.

Finally, the blade unfolded and a flame licked the blade. Hiccup laughed in relief, hurrying to cut and burn through the ropes that trapped both him and Toothless. As soon as he had a big enough hole, he jumped out of the net, Toothless hurrying to follow.

Men rushed forward, but Hiccup was starting to see red from his anger. He let out a shout and charged, his sword swinging every which way- him not really paying attention to where it was going. Dragon Hunter after Dragon Hunter fell from his blade, but Hiccup pressed on. There were still about thirty Hunter's left, about ten of those guarding the Riders and Dragons. Hiccup continued to fight, swinging his sword in large, quick arcs, the flame billowing out as he moved it. The flame made it difficult for the Hunters to step closer without getting hurt, so Hiccup had the upper hand.

A Hunter stepped forward, armed with a mace and a large double bladed battle axe. Hiccup clashed his sword against the Hunter's axe, giving a twist with his wrist to try and knock it out of the man's hand. But the hunter seemed to be expecting that, for he flipped it the opposite direction, causing Inferno to twist back and nick Hiccup's shoulder, cutting deep enough to hit bone.

Hiccup stumbled back with a cry of shock and pain. Inferno's fire had caused the wound to hurt ten times worst, resulting in his vision blurring for several seconds as the pain raced through his chest and hit his lungs. He recovered quickly though, the adrenaline that pounded through him being the cause of that.

He lunged forward again, this time knocking both the axe and the mace from the man's hands, quickly knocking the butt of Inferno against the man's head, knocking him out cold. Dull pain throbbed in his shoulder, but he was able to ignore it for the time being. He could fell the blood dribbling down his arm and soaking his sleeves, but he ignored that as well. He knew that if he dwelled on it for long, the pain would come full force- and right now, that would not be good.

Toothless was firing madly, pounding his way closer to the dragons in order to free them. With his help, now there were only a few Dragon Hunter's left.

Unknown to Hiccup and Toothless, a Dragon Hunter had snuck away from the crowd and hid behind a tree, a crossbow in his arms. He was standing behind the trees where the Dragon Rider's were held captive, so he was completely hidden and no one was aware. No one knew what he was going to do.

He lifted the crossbow, aiming it straight at Hiccup's chest. But the young Berkian was moving quickly- to quickly for the Hunter to get a straight shot. So the man just hoped for the best, aiming as well as he could before pulling the trigger.

…

Astrid was struggling hard against the ropes that tied her wrists, wriggling them around to try and loosen them. But there were also ropes around her chest- not as tight but restraining none the less. She tugged harder, her face fixed in consentration.

"Come on, come on." She muttered, sawing her wrists against the tree. "COME ON!"

"For the idiots they are, they sure can tie a good knot." Snotlout said, he too trying to free himself. He kept jerking himself forward, away from the tree, but it was no use. The ropes around his chest and his hands tied behind the tree restrained all movement.

"Yuck, get your hair out of my mouth!" Ruffnut whined to her brother, shaking her head in attempts to free herself. She and Tuffnut had been tied to the same tree, and Astrid was certain that if they tried hard enough, they could free each other. But, lucky them, they were the twins. And the twins would never be able to figure that out.

Astrid looked back at hiccup, biting her lip with a little gasp when she noticed red dripping from Hiccup's right elbow. She watched the liquid drop to the ground, her eyes widening when she realized it was blood. She looked back at Hiccup, but couldn't tell if he was bleeding or not- given to his red shirt. Then, she noticed how slick and shiny his armor was under his arm. It was smeared in blood. Hiccup's blood.

Her heart beat quickened as she continued to pull and struggle in the ropes. Nearby, Fishlegs was just frozen in place, his eyes wide and his breath coming in quick spurts. He was staring right at Hiccup, and she guessed that he'd seen what she had- blood.

She paused for a moment, listening intently. She thought she'd heard a click-

Then, out of nowhere came an arrow, whizzing past her ear and into the small battle raging before her. Well, it wasn't really raging anymore, since there were about only five Hunter's left, and Toothless and Hiccup were quickly taking care of them.

Astrid's eyes followed the arrow, and when she realized where it was heading, everything switched to extremely slow motion. Her mouth opened, and she distantly heard herself shout, but it was hard to tell in the murky darkness of sound. She watched as the arrow zipped through the falling Hunters, meeting its mark in Hiccup's side, right beneath his ribs.

Reality hit her full impact, and she gasped for air, not realizing she'd been holding it before. Now that everything had become real to her once more, she screamed. Loud and shrill in her terror and fury. She tugged and jerked and pulled at the ropes, her heart beating faster as she watched Hiccup crumple to the ground, his eyes sliding shut. Toothless shrieked, hurriedly whacking the last Hunter in the head with his tale before rushing to his rider, nudging him softly with his nose, whining in fear.

Astrid faintly heard the others shouting to Toothless to come and help them, but she wasn't really paying attention anymore. All her focus was on Hiccup and the ropes that bound her. She had to get to him… had to get to him before he bled out. Before he…

The ropes snapped. She smiled in relief, but didn't take long to rejoice in her freedom, for her worry returned, and she rushed forward, crashing down onto the ground beside Toothless and Hiccup.

"Astrid! Help us! Untie us! Or the dragons! Come on!" the others shouted behind her, but once more she ignored them. Hiccup need her more than they did. They'd live tied up to trees for a couple of minutes. Hiccup… without help he might not live that long at all.

The first thing she noticed was all the blood. Blood everywhere, and to her utter horror she noticed that there was so much it was beginning to pool around his body in a puddle. The arrow was still protruding from his side, right beneath his ribs. She wouldn't be surprised if his rib was broken, but that wasn't what had her worried the most. It was the fact that she didn't know what internal organs had been hit…

Next she noticed how wheezy his breath was, coming out in short little spurts, sounding pained, gaspy, and hard to do. His chest was rising and falling rapidly, short and quick. It worried her all the more.

Toothless was cooing madly, not once falling silent. He kept circling around them, finally settling down beside Hiccup, wrapping his tail and body around both Astrid and Hiccup as though to protect them.

"ASTRID HOFFERSON IF YOU DON'T GET OVER HERE AND FREE US THIS DUDE IS GOING TO KILL US!"

Astrid once again ignored Snotlout's shouting, instead digging into Toothless's saddle bags in search for the bandages. She heard the sound of roaring and shouts behind her, but it was distant in her mind. There was only one thing that was going on her brain. _Help Hiccup. Save Hiccup. Don't let him die._

She began to unbuckle Hiccup's armor, taking Hiccup's dagger to cut a slit in it so it would come off even with the arrow still lodged in Hiccup's body. She lifted it off of him carefully, worried that Hiccup would wake up in the process. But Hiccup only continued his labored breathing, his face scrunching up in pain. Astrid pushed Hiccup's armor into the saddlebags sloppily, not really caring if they actually made it in the bag or not. Then, she used the dagger once more to slice Hiccup's shirt around the arrow, casting the dagger aside before reaching forward to pull the shirt up. She gagged at the sight, and if she'd had a weaker stomach she and her breakfast would've had a reacquaintance. But she swallowed, and grabbed the canteen, dumping it over the wound in attempts to wash away all the thick blood. Hiccup jolted forward and cried out hoarsely, his breathing going ragged.

"No, no, Hiccup, stay with me! Shh, Hiccup…" Astrid rambled, scrambling to grab the bandages and wrapping them around the arrow, pressing down at the same time to try and stem the bleeding. Hiccup let out another shout of pain, and Astrid could feel herself shaking at the sound. She hated this… she couldn't stand to see him hurting. In pain.

The sound of footsteps and voices came from outside the little wall Toothless had built, but Astrid was too zoned out to notice them until Fishlegs actually shoved his way through.

"Oh my Thor." Fishleg's whispered in horror. "Hiccup…"

Astrid turned to face him, "Help me!" She shouted, turning back to Hiccup's wound immediately after saying it. Fishlegs knelt down beside her, his hands shaking as he held them out as though hesitating to touch Hiccup at all.

Astrid stared at him, then shouted, "TAKE IT OUT!"

Fishlegs jumped, then grabbed the dagger and a rag, leaping into action. Even though he panicked in dire situations, when it came down to it, he was one to move fastest. Especially in a medical situation.

"Okay." Fishlegs whispered. He looked at Toothless and nodded. The dragon placed a paw gently onto Hiccup's shuddering chest, pressing down slightly to restrain any movement.

Then, Fishlegs slid the dagger along the arrow shaft so quickly that Astrid didn't even have time to process that before he jerked it, thrusting the arrow head and shaft up and out. Astrid jumped when Hiccup screamed harshly, his body jumping forward and he probably would've sat up if Toothless hadn't been holding him down. As soon as the arrow was out, Hiccup went limp once more, his breathing even heavier.

Fishleg's seemed to have everything under control, so Astrid moved upward towards Hiccup's head, sitting down beside him and lifting his head into her lap. She pushed his bangs out of his face, noticing how he was sweating.

"Okay, that should do until we get to the Edge." Fishleg's said at last. Astrid looked at him, only then realizing that she was crying, the warm tears spilling down her cheeks.

"I-is he going to be o-okay?" Astrid stuttered hoarsely.

Fishleg's sighed and nodded. "As far as I can tell. Nothing too serious was injured- nothing that won't heal over time."

Astrid sighed in relief, letting a soft smile touch her lips. She looked back down at Hiccup, the smile disappearing.

"We need to get him home. His arm's hurt too…"

Toothless cooed then stood up, moving close to Astrid then nodding back at his saddle. Astrid stood up, then climbed into Toothless's saddle, turning to grab Hiccup from Fishleg's arms. She adjusted him gently in her lap, his head resting on her shoulder.

The others hurried to their dragons, and for a split second Astrid wondered how they'd gotten free. But they could catch up later, after Hiccup was taken care of and safe.

Toothless jumped into the air, and Astrid tightened her hold on Hiccup, making sure he didn't fall. Toothless flew smoothly, but speedily towards the Edge, making it easier for Astrid to balance both herself and Hiccup.

Hiccup moaned, and Astrid glanced down, her heart beat quickening when she noticed his eye lids flutter. He blinked his eyes open, staring blearily up at her through half closed eyes.

"A-Astrid?" He murmured. "Y-you okay?"

Astrid could've laughed in relief that he was speaking. She smiled, and pulled him closer.

"Yes, Hiccup I'm fine. We're fine. You're the one who's hurt."

"B-but the men…"

"You're the hero today Hiccup, so let us help you. Besides, you're really hurt." Astrid stated firmly. Hiccup's eyes slid shut again, and he let out a shuddering sigh before looking back at her.

Before he could speak again, she pressed her finger to his lips, giving him her sternness look given to the situation. "Now hush and just lay back and rest. You've lost a lot of blood, so don't move around too much or talk, alright?"

Hiccup smiled drowsily before answering, "H-hero, huh?"

Astrid grinned, glad that he was aware enough to at least try to be sarcastic. "Shut up, snarky." She whispered softly. Hiccup smiled back at her, then closed his eyes, his breathing evening out as he drifted off to sleep.

She pushed his bangs off his face before pressing a soft kiss to his forehead, whispering.

"Thank you."

* * *

 **Sorry if there are any typos, but I'm kind of rushed so don't have time to go and check them over.**

 **Okay, so I missed even more people who asked for requests, but never fear! I posted a list of the chapter length stories on my profile, so go and check that out. If you didn't see your name in the chapter where I listed them, then it'll probably be on my profile.**

 **Thanks everyone, oh and is anyone else SUPER EXCITED THAT BEYONDTHECLOUDS777 MIGHT RETURN TO THE HTTYD FANDOM!? I'M LITERALLY FREAKING OUT PEOPLE! I'M A HUGE FAN OF HER WRITING AND I'M THRILLED TO PIECES THAT SHE'S RETURNING! (might. Might! She's thinking about it. But oh, I hope she does!)**

 **Okay, I'll let you go before I shout your ear off. (XD) Hope you liked this!**

 **Next chapter everyone. See you then *tips hat* ;)**


	23. Here

**Title: Here**

 **Requested by: movielover48**

 **Summary: Hiccup has a nightmare about his friends being hurt, and he wakes up in a panic, but Toothless is there to help him.**

 **Genre: Hurt/Comfort**

 **Rating: K-T**

 **Time-line: Race to the Edge**

 **A/N: Crappy summary, I know. XD But, anyways, my email is NOT working so if I've missed people's requests, that's why. But here's a list of the people who are still waiting, and this should be the revised list. If your name is not on there, please just repost it in the reviews or PM me. Here's the list! Hershel-moon, Tuffnut-and-Chicken02, Gummybear1178, ReptileGirl497, The nut, mrdbznarutofan, and then anonymous from tumblr. Alright, *rubs hands together* I think I've got everyone there! Sorry about all the mix ups. But anyways, here's the next story!**

* * *

 _Hiccup tugged on the chains half-heartedly, tired from trying to free himself from their grasp. He'd been in this cell for hours, along with the other riders. They were all chained to the wall with their arms above their heads in chains, and no amount of tugging could get them free._

 _"This is a blast." Snotlout mumbled angrily as he thrashed around, making the chains jingle. "I'm loving this! Just what I wanted to do with my day: spend it locked up in a dirty cell."_

 _"Hey, at least you're chained alone. Why is it because we're twins that they think they have to tie us together?" Tuffnut asked, shoving Ruffnut aside. Ruffnut shoved him back, and before long the two were having a shoving war. Leave it to the twins to find a way to fight in this muddled mess._

 _Astrid had remained silent, and Fishlegs had fallen asleep. Or fainted from the shock, Hiccup wasn't sure. Either way, Fishleg's was zero help, and Astrid looked mad enough to kill- even when her arms were immobile. She glared at the opposite wall, her jaw clenched shut and her brows furrowed._

 _"I'm sorry, guys." Hiccup said, feeling discouraged. Somehow, he knew this was his fault. He didn't know how they got in the cell, but he knew it must have been because of him._

 _"Yeah, geez Hiccup. Could've been a little more careful." Snotlout mumbled angrily._

 _"I'm sorry." Hiccup said again._

 _"Sorry doesn't cut it anymore." Snotlout lifted his nose into the air haughtily. "It's just like-"_

 _"Shut up, Snotlout." Astrid hushed him. "Somebody's coming." She nodded her head towards the cell door._

 _The door creaked open and in stepped Ryker. The man was surprisingly alone, and that fact made Hiccup nervous. Everyone had stopped moving, except for Fishleg's, who was snoring softly. Hiccup watched as Ryker stepped over to the Ingerman boy before kicking him in the leg, jolting Fishleg's awake with a little squeak. He stared through terrified eyes down at Ryker, but Ryker did nothing more than smile before moving to the twins._

 _"So, Hiccup, this is all your fault, aye? Your poor little friends here have to suffer the consequences for your mistake."_

 _Mistake? What mistake!? What happened?_

 _"We'll start with these two fools." Ryker grabbed Tuffnut and Ruffnut by their hair pulling them away from the wall (Hiccup had no idea how, since they'd been chained there and he somehow effortlessly pulled them away)_

 _He walked to the door again, and somehow, the wall disappeared, revealing a deep dark trench. Without hesitation, Ryker shoved Ruffnut and Tuffnut towards it. The twins disappeared through the dark crack with shouts of terror, and Hiccup began thrashing madly against the chains, pleading Ryker to stop. To help them, rescue them!_

 _"Ick! Get away from me you, idiot!" Snotlout shouted, struggling in Rykers hold. Ryker just laughed before shoving him down the trench as well. Hiccup struggled harder, his chains rattling against the stone wall._

 _"No, please! Help them, don't let them die!" Hiccup cried, struggling harder. Ryker laughed again before grabbing Fishleg's by the arm, dragging him to the death pit then dumping him inside. Fishleg's let out a shriek, crying out for help._

 _Hiccup fell limp against the wall, breathing heavily with his eyes closed. "Please, please…" he whispered over and over again._

 _"HICCUP!" Astrid voice shouted, and Hiccup's eyes jolted open. No. Not her. Ryker better not hurt her!_

 _Ryker held Astrid, her arms behind her back. He was standing right in front of Hiccup, and to Hiccup's horror he saw him draw out a sword. Astrid's eyes were wide in fear… fear. Astrid Hofferson was afraid. And that only made Hiccup thrash harder, trying desperately to free himself._

 _"Hiccup, Hiccup." Ryker chuckled slowly. "Look what you've done. You have failed. You failed your friends. You failed Berk. You failed your father. You failed your dragon."_

 _Hiccup looked to the side when he heard a low recognizable coo. Two men stood beside the trench, a tied Toothless behind them. The dragon stared at Hiccup through wide green eyes. Before Hiccup could say anything, the men gave Toothless a shove, the dragon immediately tumbling into the darkness._

 _"NO! TOOTHLESS!" Hiccup shouted, writhing in the chains, tears streaming down his face. "NO, PLEASE!"_

 _"And you failed your girlfriend." Ryker finished. He withdrew the sword, the brought it down in a flash of medal into Astrid's chest._

"NO!" Hiccup gasped, his eyes wide open as he bolted into a sitting position. His breathing was heavy and coming in quick spurts as he looked wildly about. The cell was gone. He was in his room- his bed. With a large black dragon hovering over him.

"Toothless." Hiccup sobbed, reaching forward and grabbing the dragon around the neck, hugging him fiercely. Toothless cooed worriedly, not moving. Hiccup sobbed, his head buried into Toothless's neck, and the dragon didn't move at all. He stayed there for several seconds, just letting Hiccup cry against him. Finally, Hiccup began to calm down, leaning back and brushing the tears off his face. He was still shaking, and still had cold sweat covering his face, so Toothless did what he knew he had to do to comfort his friend.

The dragon stood up on his hind legs, grabbing Hiccup up in his front paws. Hiccup didn't protest at all- to Toothless's surprise. But then again Hiccup did tend to be clingy when he was sleepy or scared, so Toothless just took it as permission. He tottled over to his corner where he slept, and once he reached it he laid back down, arranging Hiccup in his paws. Toothless curled into a little bawl, pulling Hiccup close to his body much like he'd done when Hiccup had lost his leg. Toothless folded his wings in around them, enveloping the two in darkness. He then tucked his head under his wing right beside Hiccup's head, Toothless's breath ruffling his hair.

"Th-thanks, bud." Hiccup whispered, and Toothless crooned in response. Hiccup sighed in relief, glad that his best friend was alright.

Hiccup's breathing evened out after a few moments, and Toothless could feel his quaking slowing. But he didn't move. He didn't want to for one thing, but for another he didn't want Hiccup to feel alone or scared.

So Toothless stayed there the rest of the night, his friend tucked safely in his arms. He wouldn't let anything hurt him… ever.

 **Sorry it's so short. But I'll be gone most of today so I didn't have a lot of time to type this up. I hope to do more tomorrow, and update on We're Here For You as well. I need to get into habit of updating earlier. *shakes finger at myself scoldingly***

 **Tootles for now!**


	24. Haddock's and bed rest don't mix Part 1

**Title: Haddock's and bedrest don't mix Part 1**

 **Requested by: Gummybear1178**

 **Summary: Hiccup and Toothless crash land while out on a flight, and Hiccup's spine is slightly damaged. So nothing permanent happens to his spine, Hiccup is put on bedrest for a week or two, and let's just say that Hiccup and Astrid are battling each other: Hiccup to get out of bed and Astrid to keep him off his feet.**

 **Genre: Friendship, Humor**

 **Rating: K**

 **Time-line: After Race to the Edge Season 4… if we ignore the fact about the volcano erupting.**

 **A/N: I'M BAAAAACCCCCKKKKK! I HATE school. I really do and I cannot wait for summer to come. But here's another story for you all!**

* * *

Hiccup and Toothless flew high above the forest of Dragon's Edge, and Hiccup was beyond bored. He almost missed Viggo, just so they'd get a bit of excitement. There had been almost nothing to do the last couple of days- well, besides repairs on the Edge and pick up. But they'd finished that days ago, and now they all had a lot of free time on their hands.

Toothless was quite relaxed, his eyes only half open and his breathing calm. It was almost like he was sleep flying, but Hiccup knew how restless both of them were. Toothless was zoned out, merely because he had _nothing to do_.

Hiccup finally shook himself and smiled, an idea forming in his mind. "Wanna try something new bud?" he asked Toothless. The dragon gave a little jolt as he too came out of his daze, then he turned his head and cooed at Hiccup.

Hiccup grinned then unclipped his feet from the pedals. Toothless growled warningly, but Hiccup just pat the dragons neck comfortingly.

"It'll be fine, Toothless. Now, I'm gonna jump, use the Dragon Fly to glide over the forest, and you're going to dive down and catch me, okay?"

Toothless shook his head and growled again, not at all a fan of this plan. Hiccup just smiled and pat him again.

"Come on, bud, it'll be fine!"

Toothless looked straight ahead, not amused.

Hiccup wrapped his hands into the straps of his flight suit, and then he sat up straight. "Ready-"

"Hey, Hiccup!" Astrid's voice shouted from behind. But Hiccup had already slipped so he couldn't hear the rest of what she'd wanted to say, for he was careening towards the earth below. He distantly heard her let out a shriek, and he hurried to pull the straps of his flight suit. The wings unfolded and he was gliding above the trees.

"Yahoo!" Hiccup shouted as the wind whipped through his hair and made it hard to keep his eyes open. He craned his neck and saw Astrid and Stormfly, along with Toothless, diving towards him. He rolled his eyes before loosening his arms, letting himself slow down…. And lower. He realized all too late that there was a cliff in his way…

"Uh, Toothless!" Hiccup shouted, the boulder growing closer. Behind him Astrid and Stormfly were hurrying forward as fast as possible, while Toothless was struggling to stay in the air at all. The dragon couldn't dive anymore, so now he was faltering and struggling to stay above the trees.

Hiccup tried to angle himself but it was impossible, and the cliff was coming closer…

He decided that falling would be better than smashing into a huge cliff, so he dropped his arms and let himself fall quick and fast. The trees met him before he was ready and he let out a little cry as he crashed through them, landing in a large bush.

Astrid and Stormfly dashed through the trees, and Astrid barely missed having her face sliced in two by a branch. Stormfly dropped down, and Astrid jumped off, hurrying over towards the area she'd seen Hiccup fall.

"HICCUP!" she shouted, twirling around in search of the fallen rider. "Hiccup!?"

"Astrid?" Hiccup's muffled voice called from a large bush. She ran to it, dashing around in search of Hiccup. She couldn't find him, so she figured he must've fallen inside it, so pushed her way through the soft leaves and branches till she found him.

He was on his hands and knees, but he wasn't moving. It was like he was frozen in that spot. His head was ducked and she could faintly see his chest moving as he breathed.

She knelt down beside him, placing her hand on his back. He flinched visibly, so she withdrew it quickly.

"Hiccup, is something wrong?"

Hiccup grunted and shook his head, but she could tell something wasn't right.

She took a deep breath before wrapping her arm around his back, her other going to wrap around his chest. She began to pull him into a sitting position- so she could see his face- but at the least little movement Hiccup cried out, causing her to let go and back up a pace.

"Hiccup, tell me what hurts!" Astrid ordered, standing firm. Hiccup moaned again before shaking his head no. Astrid stood still for a few moments, watching him breathe slowly. Then she moved forward again, gently setting a hand on his shoulder while scooting around so she was facing him. She tucked her finger under his chin and tried to bring his face up to look at her, but the instant she tried, Hiccup let out a yelp of pain.

"Oh, Hiccup…" Astrid whispered, moving around trying to look for any sign of injuries. She only saw minor cuts and bruises… not even signs of broken bones. No blood, no major wounds…

She looked at Hiccup again, noticing how his arms were shaking slightly. He still hadn't moved from his position on all fours on the ground, and she was beginning to get really concerned.

"Hiccup, I'm serious. Tell me what's wrong or I'll-I'll take your leg and leave you here." Astrid threatened, knowing full well she'd never do that to him. She wouldn't even leave him, no. He was hurt- somehow- and needed help…

"How about everything?" Hiccup mumbled. Astrid shuffled back by his head, and she hesitated a moment before pressing her hand against his shoulder. Again, Hiccup flinched.

"Hiccup, does anything hurt… specifically."

Silence was her answer.

She sighed heavily and pressed, "Hiccup, I can't help you if you don't tell me what hurts."

Hiccup took a deep shuddering breath before answering softly. "Back."

Astrid furrowed her brow. "What?"

"My back…"

Astrid looked at his back, but saw no signs of blood or really anything wrong with it. She lifted her hand and let it fall onto the place right below his shoulder blades. Hiccup stiffened, and she lifted her hand before placing her hand on his spine, pressing down slightly. Hiccup yelped and his arms began to shake even more than they already were.

Astrid was beginning to panic. His spine… no signs of blood, no signs of… well… anything. He must've damaged his spinal cord somehow. Maybe just a bruise- or maybe something worse…

Astrid sighed and let her hand fall into her lap. She had no idea what to do in a situation like this. She did know that the best thing to do was make sure he didn't move. But there was still the problem of getting help- which was all the way back on Berk.

Maybe Fishleg's knew something about spinal injuries? Astrid desperately hoped so.

"Okay, Hiccup, I need you to lay down-" _on his back or stomach?_ _Which one was the better thing to do..?_ "On-on your back." She finished hesitantly.

Hiccup shook his head. "Astrid… I can hardly move my head without nearly fainting in the process." His voice by the end of the sentence was quiet, almost like he didn't want to say it but knew he had to at the same time.

"I'll help you." Astrid reassured. She placed a hand on his back and her other on his chest, pressing more on his chest so that he didn't have to support all his weight on his own. "Okay, now just go limp and I'll quickly flip you over."

Hiccup hesitated before letting his arms go out under him, and Astrid did a double take when all his weight was on her arm. Man, he was quite a bit heavier then she originally thought…

But she could handle it without a problem. She quickly flicked her wrist and elbow, effectively flipping Hiccup over. He cried out and his arms pressed on the ground again, holding himself up. With Astrid's help, he finally made it all the way onto the ground.

"Okay." Astrid huffed. "Now we need help."

"Fishleg's will know what to do." Hiccup wheezed.

Astrid whistled, and instantly Stormfly landed beside them, flattening the bush in the process. Astrid grabbed a piece of parchment and charcoal from the saddle bags, hurrying to scribble a message on it before handing it to Stormfly, who daintily and carefully picked it up in her beak before spreading her wings and flying away.

Hiccup blinked up at the sky before his eyes shifted to her face. He didn't move his head, and honestly she couldn't blame him. She had never personally experienced spinal pain before, but she had an idea.

"I'm gonna be stuck in bed aren't' I?" Hiccup muttered gloomily.

"Doesn't that sound nice?" Astrid asked, seeing as how Hiccup could hardly move, it did seem most likely.

Hiccup glared at her, and she laughed quietly, flicking his bangs off of his forehead. "You're difficult, you know that right?"

Hiccup grumbled something under his breath, his eyes in the opposite direction of her face. Suddenly, he looked back at her and asked panically.

"Where's Toothless? What happened, did he crash? What-"

Astrid glanced around them, not entirely sure where the black dragon went. "He should be around- I doubt if he got hurt. He wasn't that high up so-"

Before she could finish, the said dragon bounded out of the trees, looking about wildly with a quick bark. Astrid stood up and called out to him, Toothless instantly leaping over.

Toothless paused when he reached Hiccup and Astrid, slowing down so he could slowly trot around them. He paused by Hiccup's head, who lifted his hands and pat his dragons nose. Toothless cooed in concern, nudging Hiccup's chest gently. But even that little movement caused Hiccup to yelp, Toothless instantly drawing back.

"It's okay, bud. You- you're alright." Hiccup reassured, once again patting Toothless's nose. Astrid sat back down, her fingers playing with her skirt awkwardly.

Hiccup glanced back at her, his green eyes bright from pain and annoyance. It was obvious he wanted to stand up and jump onto Toothless's back- but he could scarcely move without yelling from pain.

"The gods hate me." Hiccup mumbled, making Astrid smile. She grabbed his hand and leaned back, letting her hand and his fall into her lap.

"Yep, you do seem to attract danger like a magnet."

"That's comforting."

Astrid rolled her eyes at his sarcasm. "You're hilarious."

"Wasn't trying to be."

"You never do."

Hiccup glared at her once more, but his mouth twitched, hinting a smile. Toothless crooned and rolled his eyes at the two lovers, turning around and lying down, his back to them.

"ASTRID! HICCUP!" came a voice from above.

Astrid tilted her head skywards, lifting her hands to cup around her mouth. "WE'RE DOWN HERE!"

Meatlug landed not far from the bush, the other dragons landing around her. Fishlegs jumped off and rushed over, squeaking when he saw Hiccup lying on the ground.

"Oh Thor." He whispered.

Snotlout strode up behind him, his eyes going over Hiccup and Astrid, then back to Hiccup. He grinned, "Man, can you even move?"

Hiccup gave his cousin a withering look, "No, I cannot."

Snotlout brightened up, "Oooooh this is gonna be great! Immobile Hiccup. Can't come after me, telling me what to do-"

"I'll be in charge, Snotlout." Astrid said sternly.

Snotlout froze, his eyes widening. He looked at Astrid, then to Hiccup, before turning around and grabbing Fishleg's arm.

"Help Hiccup! Do anything to help him! I can't let that tyrant come in command!" Snotlout moaned.

The twins stepped up then, Tuffnut having a hand on his chin while his other crossed across his chest. "Hm, if my calculations are correct- which they usually are- I'd say that our dear Hiccup, is hurt."

Everyone stared at him, Hiccup giving him one of the most sarcastic expressions Astrid had ever seen him wear. But both Ruff and Tuff seemed quite proud of themselves, nodding their heads and smiling before giving each other a high five.

"Okay, but could I get some help here? I literally can't move." Hiccup asked patiently, his fingers drumming against the ground.

Fishlegs went over and knelt down beside Astrid. He also held onto a book, which Astrid presumed was a medical diary of some sort.

"Okay, so it's your back that hurts?"

"Yes."

"Can you move?"

"No."

"Can you move your head?"

"Nope."

Fishlegs tapped his chin thoughtfully. Then he motioned to Astrid. "I need you to help me roll him over so I can see how bad he damaged his spine."

Hiccup moaned quietly, "Please don't make me move."

Astrid rolled her eyes before gently placing her hands against his arm. "Okay, one, two, three." She counted, then she pushed him over. Hiccup let out a shout, but it was muffled since he had buried his head in his hands. Now he was lying on his stomach, his head cushioned by his crossed arms.

Astrid sighed in sympathy, gently rubbing her hand on his shoulder to help relieve some of the tension. Hiccup groaned again, and Astrid's hear strings were tugged. He had covered up his pain very well until now, and at the moment, all she wanted to do was scoop him up in her arms and tell him it would be okay.

Fishleg's clicked nervously before prodding his fingers against Hiccup's spine, earning another muffled shout from the injured boy. Fishlegs nodded and hummed to himself as he continued to poke at Hiccup's back. Astrid bit her lip to keep from shouting at Fishleg's to stop, but it was hard to do.

Fishlegs finally leaned back and smiled. "Okay, so I don't think it's anything permanent. Just some minor sprain. Should heal in two weeks give or take."

Astrid sighed in relief, while Hiccup mumbled something incoherent from his position against the ground.

Fishlegs stood up, his book still held in his arms. "Now, we just have to move him back to the Edge."

Astrid frowned while Hiccup groaned. "And how..?"

Fishlegs bent down and plucked Hiccup up. The injured rider let out another cry of pain- this time mixed with surprise.

"Fishlegs, what are you doing?" Hiccup asked, although he didn't struggle out of Fishleg's hold. Not that he could anyways.

"Getting you back home!"

Astrid giggled as she watched Fishlegs climb onto Meatlug's back. Stormfly landed beside her, and Astrid hurried to climb on and follow the other riders back to the Edge.

 **Will try and add part 2 soon! Thanks everybody! :D**

 **Oh wait! I'm thinking about changing the title to this story. What do you all think about changing the title to "Carry On" instead of "HTTYD Requested Short Stories"? Just something a bit catchier that'll catch peoples eye. What's your thoughts? Does anybody have any suggestions for a new title?**

 **Thanks again! :D**


	25. Growing and Bonding

**Title: Growing and Bonding**

 **Requested by: Tuffnut-and-Chicken02**

 **Summary: Stoick discovers that sometimes raising a child isn't always as easy as he had thought.**

 **Genre: Family**

 **Rating: K**

 **Time-line: A month after Hiccup's born and when he's three years old**

 **A/N: I've never done a baby Hiccup Fiction before, and I haven't done very many that have Valka in it. So I hope everyone seems in character here, and not to OC. Thank you for the request Tuffnut-and-Chicken02!**

* * *

The wind howled and whistled around the walls, and Stoick knew that if he hadn't pasted it with clay earlier that year, snow would be drifting in. As it was there were little slits where frost had grown, somewhere where the clay wasn't thick enough to block out the harsh cold.

Stoick tromped out of his and Valka's bedroom, the one they shared with Hiccup at the moment since the boy was still so small and woke up often. He turned towards the fireplace, hurrying to stuff more wood inside in attempts to heat the hut up faster. The fire had dwindled to a little trickle of fire, and Stoick knew that he had to get it roaring again or they'd all freeze.

He pushed the logs around with a long stick, smiling when the dry wood burst into flames. He chucked the stick inside the fireplace, brushing his hands together at a job well done.

He paused when he heard a little squeal, and he knew who made it. He sighed and went back to the bedroom, opening the door and sliding it closed quietly behind him.

Sure enough, Valka was standing over the cradle, whispering and humming a soothing tune. But Hiccup's cries didn't die down. Soon, the poor lad was coughing and choking as he continued to cry. Valka reached her arms into the cradle and lifted the small bundle into her arms, rocking back and forth while speaking soothing words.

Still Hiccup cried on, his little hands waving in the air. Stoick stepped closer to his wife, setting a hand on her shoulder.

"Why don't I take him, Val?" he offered, holding out his arm.

Valka sighed and nodded thankfully. She passed the baby to him, settling him carefully in his arms. "Thank you… he's been so fussy lately."

Stoick shushed Hiccup quietly, and the baby began to quiet down almost immediately. Stoick smiled, and looked up at his wife.

Valka smiled back at him, lifting a hand to gently play with Hiccup's soft auburn hair. "He likes you." She whispered quietly. Hiccup's eyes were closed, and although his breathing was still rather gaspy, he was calming down rapidly.

Stoick bent down and pressed a kiss on Hiccup's forehead, his large red beard tickling the baby's cheek. Hiccup sneezed, then cuddled closer against Stoick's chest.

Valka patted Stoick's arm before turning and heading back to the bed. Stoick stood there for a few moments more, just rocking his son back and forth in his arms, softly humming a song until Hiccup was deep in slumber land.

…

"Daaaadddd!"

Stoick groaned and leaned back in his chair, glancing up at the door where the source of the voice came from "What is it now, Hiccup?"

Three-year-old Hiccup stepped inside, his face tear stained and his mouth quivering, as though threatening to burst into tears again. Stoick's heart skipped a beat at the sight of the blood on his son's forehead.

Stoick got to his feet and hurried over to his son, bending down on one knee beside him. Hiccup sniffled and swiped his hand across his cheek.

"What's wrong, what happened son?"

Hiccup stared at his Dad with tear filled eyes. "I-I tripped on the steps a-and fell…" he sobbed. "I-I hit my head… it hurts, Daddy."

Stoick bent down and scooped up his son in his arms, carrying him over to the table. He sat Hiccup down on it, so the boy's legs were dangling over the edge. Then he rushed over to the fire pit and grabbed a bucket of water and rag. He returned to Hiccup's side, taking the rag and ringing it out before dabbing at Hiccup's forehead.

Hiccup whimpered again when Stoick pulled back, showing the small pink stain on the rag. "Daddy… I think I-I'm bleeding."

Stoick smiled to himself. "Yeah, no kidding." He whispered. "It's not bad, son." He said to Hiccup, again wiping away the bit of blood that remained on Hiccup's skin. The cut was small, and wouldn't even need stitches. It was more of scrape then a cut.

Stoick dropped the rag in the bucket and sat there staring at the wound for a few seconds, nodding his head when no more blood appeared. "You won't even need a bandage." He reassured Hiccup gently, patting the boy's knee reassuringly.

Hiccup sniffed again and wiped his hand against his nose. "I don't like Snotlout." He mumbled.

Stoick paused and turned back to face Hiccup. "What?"

"I don't like Snotlout." Hiccup said a little louder. "He's mean."

Stoick's face hardened. "Did he hurt you?"

Hiccup shook his head. "No, but he calls me names a lot."

"Never mind, Snotlout, he's just a bully." Stoick said resting a hand on Hiccup's small shoulder.

Hiccup wiped his hand across his nose. "I know b-but it's h-hard sometimes…"

Stoick sat there awkwardly, not really knowing what to do. So he just continued patting Hiccup's shoulder gently, then he stood up and helped Hiccup down. Hiccup stumbled ab it but caught himself before he fell. Stoick shook his head, Hiccup was rather clumsy and tended to trip over his own feet a lot.

"Need anything else, son?"

Hiccup sniffed again, his eyes brightening. My, those bright, bright green eyes. Just like Val's…

Stoick stiffened at the thought of his wife. She'd been gone for over two years now… but the pain was still strong. At first, Stoick had blamed Hiccup, although he'd never told anyone but Gobber that he did. Gobber had been quick to talk some sense into him, and now it pained Stoick at the thought that he'd even _considered_ blaming Valka's death on Hiccup.

"I'm kinda hungry."

Stoick snapped himself out of his musing, once again resuming his gaze on Hiccup's face. The young lad was staring up at him, his hand playing with the hem of his shirt. Stoick smiled softly and nodded.

"Certainly! What do you want to eat? Sandwich?"

Stoick helped Hiccup climb up onto the bench and sit down, then he turned and walked to the stove.

"Lots of boar! But no crust on the bread." Hiccup said, jumping up and down in his seat in excitement and pent up energy. Hiccup never was one to sit still for long, he was always moving in some way. Be it his entire body, his legs, or if he was sitting, it was his arms. He gestured so much with his hands, Stoick was sure he could have an entire conversation with his son using only hand gestures.

"Alright. Cheese?" Stoick asked as he began slicing through the meat and bread. Hiccup nodded, and Stoick smiled. Once the sandwich was done, he handed it to Hiccup, also going and making one for himself and sitting across from his son.

Hiccup munched on his food quietly, not having much to say. Besides, he was pretty busy trying to eat to really talk much, so Stoick left him. He was more content with silence anyways.

He watched Hiccup carefully though, noticing how thin he was. Not necessarily unhealthy- since he still had a bit of baby fat- but he was still thinner than all the other kids his age. It concerned Stoick, but he chose not to dwell on it for the time being. He had other things to think about. Besides, Hiccup was healthy, and eating good, so there wasn't anything to worry about, right?

Hiccup let out a hiccup, and then he giggled. Stoick chuckled softly as he watched Hiccup continue eating, letting out an actual hiccup every few seconds. Once Hiccup finished eating, he slid off the bench and skipped over to the small table/counter, grabbing an apple then heading towards the door.

"I'm gonna go play now, Daddy." Hiccup informed him.

Stoick just smiled and nodded his head, Hiccup taking that as a yes and running out the door. Stoick sat there for a few more moments, just staring out the door happily. Hiccup definitely helped brighten up his day, and for whatever reason, he hadn't noticed it until now.

 **Yes, I know that I still have Part 2 to finish on Haddock's and Bed rest don't mix, but never fear! I'll post it soon! :D But I started this before I started that one, so I thought I'd finish it and post it, since you guys have been waiting.**

 **Hope this was "okay"! :D Kind of a little thing to tide you over until the next one.**

 **And I'm still thinking on if I should change names or not… and as you probably noticed I already changed it to HTTYD Requested One-Shots, which I'll stay with until I figure out if I'll change it drastically or not… thanks for all your input and suggestions! 3 :D**

 **And OMT peeps I'm just so happy that Beyond is back! So so so happy! I seriously check my email multiple times just to see if she's updated. Am I the only one…? XD**

 **Alright, enough of my boring A/N. See you next time!**


	26. Haddock's and bed rest don't mix Part 2

**Title: Title: Haddock's and bedrest don't mix Part 2**

 **Requested by: Gummybear1178**

 **Summary:** **Hiccup and Toothless crash land while out on a flight, and Hiccup's spine is slightly damaged. So nothing permanent happens to his spine, Hiccup is put on bedrest for a week or two, and let's just say that Hiccup and Astrid are battling each other: Hiccup to get out of bed and Astrid to keep him off his feet.**

 **Genre:** **Friendship, Humor**

 **Rating: K**

 **Time-line: After Race to the Edge Season 4… if we ignore the fact about the volcano erupting.**

 **A/N: Here's part 2! So, last night while I was lying in bed, I thought up a whole really funny script for this, and then this morning, I get up and go to my computer and caput! I got nothin! XD Isn't that how it always goes?**

 **Ugh, and here's a random little note here. Have you ever experience that weird pulse that goes through your eye from time to time? Ugh, I have it right now and it is driving me CRAZY! XD**

 **Well, hope this is good enough. Love you all thanks for all the requests!**

* * *

Astrid entered Hiccup's hut, stretching her arms as she yawned. Once done, she slumped there for a moment, her eyes half open and her posture slouched. She really wasn't all that big a fan of mornings.

She stumbled inside, slowly making her way up the stairs. Once she reached the top, she was met by a sleepy looking Night Fury. The two stared at each other for a few moments before Toothless yawned and headed towards his stone slab in the corner. He didn't even bother curling up into a ball, he just plopped down and dropped off to sleep.

Astrid robotically made her way to Hiccup's bed, kicking a stool over in the process. She shoved the stool beside the bed, then slouched down onto it. She was so tired that if someone had sneakily kicked the stool away just as she was sitting down, her butt and the floor would've made a quick introduction. But thankfully, the twins weren't there to fool around, so Astrid was safely seated on the chair.

She yawned again, her fists going up to try and rub the sleepiness from her eyes. She let her hands fall limply into her lap, her eyes going to fix on the peacefully sleeping Haddock on the bed. Hiccup was lying on his back- which Astrid had been puzzled about and had asked Fishlegs _why_ exactly was Hiccup supposed to lie on his injured spine. Fishlegs had explained that it was to give it support, and it was the most comfortable way.

Fishleg's had made Hiccup _promise_ not to move or try to get up. Hiccup had at first not replied- well, not until Astrid threatened to tie him to the bed did he promise. Besides, Hiccup seemed to be having a hard time saying _'no'_ to her these days, and Astrid was not complaining about that little fact in the least.

Hiccup mumbled something in his sleep, attempting to roll over. Astrid hurried to stand up and hold his arms down, keeping him from moving. Hiccup grumbled about something, his eyes blinking open. He stared up at her, a silly grin starting to spread across his lips.

"Hey." Hiccup said softly.

Astrid rolled her eyes and smiled back. What a dork. "Hi, sleepy."

Hiccup snorted and turned his head towards the window. "Whadyou mean sleepy? The sun's barely up."

Astrid leaned back, letting go of his arms in the process. Hiccup sighed and settled back even more into the bunch of pillows around him. He looked way to comfortable, and it made Astrid smile all the more. Although Hiccup was a workaholic, he could take it easy from time to time. And in this case, he didn't really have a choice. He could barely move without shouting in pain.

"You weren't here all night, were you?" Hiccup asked, concern edging his voice. Astrid smiled and shook her head, leaning her elbows on the edge of the bed, her head in her hands.

"Nope. Toothless had night guard duty."

Hiccup snorted. "I don't need a warden."

Astrid just stared at him doubtfully. "Uh huh."

Hiccup rolled his eyes, letting his gaze fall to the rafters of the ceiling. After a few moments of silence he glanced back at her, smiling again.

"But hey, I don't mind if _you're_ my warden."

Astrid stared at him in surprise. Who was this Hiccup? Did he get a concussion in his fall too? Because this was a whole new side to him she'd never seen before. He was a lot mushier and flirtier then she'd ever realized.

She smiled coyly. "Oh yeah?" She moved her hand from under her chin to teasingly tip-toe her two fingers up his chest. "Well. No kisses for you, buster. You'd probably try and kiss back and hurt your neck."

Hiccup groaned. "Perfect." He muttered sarcastically.

Astrid smiled and leaned back in her chair, stretching again. "Eh, a little suffering will do you good." She stood up and moved towards the stairs. "Want something to eat?"

Hiccup muttered something under his breath again. "Eat? I can't even _sit up_."

Astrid trotted down the stairs to Hiccup's small kitchen area. "I'll see if I can find you something!" she shouted up to the platform. Hiccup shouted some reply, but it was too quiet for her to hear. So she shrugged it off and went about the kitchen, searching for anything that would be easy for Hiccup to eat. Finally, she found an apple, and decided to chop it up and hopefully Hiccup would be able to sit up and eat it. She really didn't need him choking, especially since she couldn't exactly whack him on the back.

She stepped back up to the loft, carefully holding the tray in her hands. She had also made herself some apples along with cheese for both of them, because she hadn't eaten before she'd left.

"Here." Astrid sat the tray on the bedside table, before dusting her hands together and turning to look back at a scowling Hiccup. She chuckled and placed her arm under his shoulder blades, carefully and slowly pulling him into a sitting position. Hiccup groaned quietly but otherwise made no other indication of pain.

She fluffed up multiple pillows and stuffed them behind his back to help cushion his back. Hiccup squirmed to try and find a comfortable position, finally giving up and just deciding to deal with the dull achiness.

"Alrighty." Astrid grabbed the tray and placed it in his lap. "Don't get used to this, breakfast in bed." She clicked her tongue and shook her head. "You're getting spoiled."

Hiccup smirked at her, then sobered a bit. "I've never actually gotten breakfast in bed before." He admitted.

Astrid paused, an apple mid-way to her mouth. She lowered her hand and stared at her injured friend, noticing how he was easily munching on an apple, not appearing all that disturbed.

"Not even with your leg..?" Astrid asked in disbelief. How had he _avoided_ not getting breakfast in bed? Surely Stoick would've forced Hiccup to remain in bed when his leg was aching or-

"Naw, well. I guess I shouldn't say never gotten food in bed before. I've had supper in bed, since that was when my leg ached the most, but never breakfast in bed. So this is kinda a new thing…" Hiccup's voice trailed off and he grinned at her. "I like this. My first breakfast in bed with you here with me..."

Astrid teasingly swatted his arm, making him try and duck the blow, but with his back there was no escape. She laughed and leaned back in her chair, popping another apple into her mouth.

"You're a flirt, you know that right?" Astrid said with a laugh.

"But you love me for it." Hiccup smirked and began nibbling on some cheese. "And I'll take that as a compliment, m'lady."

"You would."

The two spent the rest of their meal in silence, just taking time to eat and enjoy each other's company. Once they were done Astrid took the tray and empty dishes and carted them down the stairs before returning to Hiccup's bedside, one again taking her place in the chair beside it.

Hiccup squirmed. "I really want to get out of this stupid bed…" he muttered under his breath, his fingers tugging at the edge of the blanket.

Astrid smiled sympathetically. "Sorry. But doctor's rules."

"What doctor?"

Astrid glared at him and he quickly looked away. "Fine, fine…"

Astrid stood up, "I'm going to go check on the others- they should be up by now. Going to tell them what to do." She turned towards the stairs, but paused when she heard the creak of the bed behind her. She whipped around, waving a finger threatingly. "And _YOU_." Hiccup grimaced "are going to stay in that bed! Got it?"

Hiccup smiled and nodded his head, but it wasn't very comforting. He looked like he was up to something…

Astrid smiled when a threat came to mind. She turned back around to face him slowly, "And if you do try and get up, no kisses for a month."

Hiccup glared at her. "Now that's not fair-"

"Totally fair." Astrid laughed again before turning and rushing down the stairs. She looked back up towards the loft, pausing for a few seconds before nodding her head in satisfaction that Hiccup would indeed stay in his bed.

She stepped outside, blinking against the harsh morning sunlight. After letting her eyes adjust to the light, she continued down the ramps towards the clubhouse where the others were most likely eating breakfast.

She'd thought correct. When she entered the clubhouse door, the other riders were all gathered around the fire pit/table, where they were munching on mutton and fried fish.

"Morning, gang." Astrid greeted, smiling slightly when she realized she'd just copied Hiccup's line.

"Hey, that's Hiccup's line." Snotlout clarified, and she laughed.

"Speaking of Hiccup, how's he doing? Have you checked in on him?" Fishleg's asked. "I was just going to go over and see if he needed help once we were done here-"

"Nope, I went in and got him breakfast. He's doing fine. And a little bit better. He was able to sit up."

Fishlegs nodded, "That's good. I think he should be up and moving around again in a week or two. If he stays in bed he'll be up sooner."

Astrid sighed. "That's what I told him, yet he still seems to think he can get up and walk around. I had to bribe him in order to keep him in his bed while I came here."

"How'd you bribe him? Hiccup isn't bribed easily." Ruffnut asked, gnawing on a piece of fish.

Astrid blushed a light shade of red, her mind jumbling to find an answer- _besides_ the real one. "Um… I-I had to- uh."

"She's stuttering again." Tuffnut noted.

Snotlout smirked and leaned back in his chair, crisscrossing his feet on the table. "She bribed him with a kiss, didn't you?"

Astrid blush darkened, and the others began hooting and chortling in amusement.

"Oh, she totally did!" Ruffnut snorted.

Tuffnut wiped tears from his eyes. "Hahaha!" he continued, "I-ho!-poor Hiccup!"

Astrid glared at them before spinning on her heal and heading right back towards the door. "When you guys are done laughing, you can do patrols. Snotlout." She looked pointedly at him. "You get first shift."

Snotlout didn't even acknowledge what she said, but continued to laugh uncontrollably.

Astrid rolled her eyes. "Oh Thor." She muttered under her breath. She turned and began her trek back to Hiccup's hut, ignoring the sounds of laughter behind her.

She came to Hiccup's door and was just about to crank it open (Hiccup had to make everything so inventive, and Hiccup's door really was cool to open) and just as she did she heard a yelp along with a loud _BANG!_ sound from the loft. Astrid gave a little jump, before her eyes narrowed in suspicion and anger.

"For the love of Thor, Hiccup!" She shouted, tromping her way up the stairs. Once she reached the top, she saw just what she'd expected to see. Hiccup was lying on the ground, pillows scattered across the floor as well as a blanket that was tangled around Hiccup's legs. He looked up at her sheepishly, and she just stood there glaring at him. Toothless stepped up beside her, a very similar look on his face as well.

"Uh, okay, it's not what it looks like…" Hiccup stuttered. "I wasn't getting out of bed… um… the wind… blew me out! Yeah…"

Astrid rolled her eyes before crouching down beside him, grabbing his arm and wrapping it around her shoulder. "You idiot." She scolded angrily. Hiccup winced, but she knew it wasn't form the pain but from the tone of voice she was using.

"Sorry." Hiccup whispered. "I-I… beds and I just don't have a great relationship. I was only stuck in one for _weeks_ after the Red Death…"

Astrid sighed and pushed him into the bed, causing Hiccup to yelp in pain. She bent down and began grabbing pillows from the floor, stuffing them behind and around Hiccup once she was done.

She sat back in her chair with a heavy sigh, then she smirked evilly. "Well. Guess that means NO kisses for you for the next month…"

Hiccup paled slightly, and that only made Astrid smile wider. "What! No!- I mean, you wouldn't! I thought you were joking… I-I…"

Astrid began laughing harder, making Hiccup blush and stutter even more.

"You think this is funny?" Hiccup mumbled in a hurt tone. "So what, you _don't_ like kissing me?"

Astrid ceased her laughing as soon as he said that, hurrying to reassure him. "That's not it, Hiccup! I just threatened you so you would stay in bed. I can't have you hurt…"

Hiccup suddenly began to smirk slowly. "So… you don't want me hurt, huh?"

Astrid shook her head, but then paused, looking back at him. He was plotting something here…

"Well, I'll stay in bed, if you give me a kiss and take back the 'no month without kisses' deal. Huh? How 'bout it?"

Astrid glared at him. "You evil little-"

Hiccup grinned all the more, "flirt?"

Astrid stuttered, trying to find some smart, snarky come-back, but her mind failed her. Finally, she just gave up and smiled back, before leaning forward, her face coming closer and closer to Hiccup. She noticed his eyes were flickering and he was getting that dreamy look on his face. She paused, just centimeters away from his face.

She was about to say something but Hiccup leaned forward quickly and pressed his lips against hers, tossing all thought of teasing him out of her mind. She closed her eyes and kissed him back, and she could've sworn she heard sweet music playing in the background.

That moment could've lasted forever, and she wouldn't have minded at all, but eventually she pulled away so she could catch her breath.

Hiccup was still staring at her dreamily, and she leaned back, giggling at his dorkiness. "You are such a dork." She remarked, ruffling his hair with her hand.

Hiccup lifted a hand and tried to tame his wild hair, grinning at her.

"But you love me for it."

Astrid rolled her eyes, "And that's what makes you a dork…"

 **I'm sooooo far behind in your guy's requests! I'm SO SORRY! I'm trying to catch up though, so just bear with me and we'll make it! I'm sure of it!**

 **Next chapter everybody. See you then! :D**


	27. Under the Stars

**Title: Under the Stars**

 **Requested by: ReptileGirl497**

 **Summary: Hiccup's nervous about asking Astrid out on their first ever "date".**

 **Genre: Romance (I guess… I'm not really good at it but I'll try)**

 **Rating: K**

 **Time-line: After Blindsided but before Shell Shocked Part 1 (RTTE)**

* * *

Hiccup lifted his hand, letting it hover above the door knob uncertainly. Toothless let out a huff of exasperation from his place curled up by the wall of the hut. Hiccup looked at him, and Toothless merely rolled his eyes.

"Hey, this is big, bud. I'm just… well… nervous."

Toothless huffed again, then his eyes brightened before he flopped over onto his back, his body smashing into the building and making a very loud noise.

"Toothless! Sh-"

"Hiccup? That you?" came Astrid's voice from inside. Hiccup glared at a smirking Toothless, before turning back to face the door.

"Uh, y-yeah it's me!" he replied, shifting from one foot to another nervously. The door swung open, revealing Astrid Hofferson. Hiccup did a double take, not expecting her to be out of her armor. Her shoulder guards were gone, as was the skull belt around her waist. She was casually dressed, and for a moment, he wondered if maybe it was too late to ask…

"Uh, sorry, you look… like you're…" Hiccup stuttered helplessly.

Astrid just smiled and placed a hand on her hip, "You're here for a reason, now what is it?" She demanded.

Hiccup swallowed, casting Toothless a glance for any kind of help. But the dragon merely shrugged before rolling over, standing up, then stalking over to Stormfly, the two dragons beginning to play tag.

"Um, well…" Hiccup continued to stumble over his words. Finally, he took a deep breath and said carefully, "I was wondering if you wanted to go on a flight with me and Toothless?"

Astrid smiled brightly. "I'd love to!"

Hiccup sighed in relief, confused as to why he'd been nervous before. He should've known better. He grabbed her hand boldly and led her over to Toothless, climbing on before turning and holding a hand out to her. She smiled slowly before grabbing it and tossing herself up behind him, her arms going to wrap around his waist and her head resting on his shoulder. He smiled to himself before giving Toothless a little nudge with his foot, urging the dragon into the air. Not that Toothless needed it, Hiccup had explained what he wanted to do before they left.

"Stay here, Stormfly!" Astrid called out to her dragon. Stormfly squawked sadly, before perking up and beginning to preen herself.

Toothless climbed higher into the sky, making Astrid clinger tighter to Hiccup, her arms tightening around his waist. He grinned, rubbing a hand over her clasped hands around his stomach. She yelped and hung on harder.

"Hiccup Haddock, hang onto the saddle because if we crash I will not be happy!" She called out. Hiccup blushed and moved his hand back to the saddle, gripping onto it tightly. He could've sworn he saw Toothless smirk and even let out a small chuckle.

"Useless Reptile." He muttered under his breath, leaning forward slightly so Toothless could hear him. With a snap Toothless jerked his head, slapping Hiccup in the face with one of his ear flaps.

Toothless then burst through the fog, now soaring slowly and gracefully above the sunset colored clouds. Astrid sighed and looked up at the landscape, resting her face against Hiccup's neck. He had half expected her to rest her chin on his shoulder, like she'd done that first time he and Toothless had taken her on a flight, but then he realized that she really couldn't. He was too tall now, and the only place she could rest her head was against his shoulder. Hiccup grinned, having only just now realized that fact.

"This is nice." Astrid murmured quietly.

"Yeah…" Hiccup answered, his eyes going over the darkening sky. It would be dark before long, and he wasn't sure if she'd want to be out after dark… the others might start to wonder where they were. "Do you want to go back before dark or..?"

"No, let's land on a seas stack and watch the stars come out." Astrid whispered quietly, being able to do so now that Toothless had slowed down and the wind was no longer whipping around them.

Hiccup smiled and pat Toothless's head, the dragon cooing in an unspoken agreement. He angled himself then dove downwards to the sea below, where several sea stacks dotted the landscape. Hiccup glanced towards the North, where Dragon's Edge was. It was too dark though, and the others most likely didn't spot them.

Toothless dropped onto the stack, holding still while Hiccup climbed off, then Astrid. She walked to the ledge before sitting down, letting her legs dangle over the edge. Hiccup sat down next to her, Toothless- rather fearful that one or both of them might fall off- curled up around them.

Hiccup rubbed Toothless's head absentmindedly, his other hand fiddling with the hem of his shirt. Astrid sighed as she stared at the sun that was dipped behind the horizon, threatening to disappear for the night.

Astrid looked over at Hiccup, smiling as she grabbed his hand. He looked at her, a grin spreading slowly across his face. She leaned onto his shoulder, sighing again in contentment as she leaned back against Toothless, finding this position much to her liking. Snuggled up against Hiccup, the sunset sprawled out before them, and the stars about to come out and shine.

"I could get used to this." Hiccup said, interrupting the silence. Astrid nodded her head against his shoulder, agreeing. The sight was absolutely beautiful.

"So how long did it take for you to admit that you were outside my door?" Astrid asked in a teasing tone.

Hiccup blushed a light shade of red. "Aw, about… I don't know… a half hour?"

Toothless snorted and wacked Hiccup in the back of his head with his tail, causing the boy to , yelp in surprise. Astrid chuckled in amusement, Hiccup putting on a pouting face, feigning hurt.

Hiccup was just about to wrap his arm around Astrid's waste to draw her closer, when a loud voice shouted behind them:

"Hey! What're you two doing here?"

Hiccup and Astrid both jumped apart in surprise, not expecting anyone else to be on this specific sea stack. Even Toothless was startled, and he too let out a little yelp with a startled jolt.

Hiccup whirled around, sighing in relief when he noticed that it was just Tuffnut and Ruffnut, along with Barch.

"Guys! What- what are you doing here?" Hiccup said, trying to sound casual and not at all like he'd been trying and still was hiding something.

"Oh, you know, nightly flight. We were hoping to blow up this sea stack but then we noticed you two and thought better of it."

 _Uh-oh they saw them earlier..? how much had they seen? Had they seen them hugging? Thankfully there hadn't been any kisses, not even one on the cheek, but still, they might get ideas…_

Ruffnut nodded her head in agreement, "Yep, but you two looked quite cozy so we didn't want to disturb you. Is it really that cold out that we need to huddle together for warmth?"

Astrid blushed and gave a shaky smile. "Uh-um, it is kinda cold out." She rubbed her arms for emphasis.

Tuffnut shrugged. "Whatev. Guess we'll go and blow up a different stack. See ya later!" Both twins climbed back on their dragon, then flew off, disappearing off in the distance.

Both Astrid and Hiccup sighed in relief, once again scooting a little closer together. "Well, that was close."

Hiccup puckered his brow in confusion, glancing over at Astrid. "What? Why-"

Astrid held up a finger, silencing him, "No. I-I just want us to know for now… we'll tell them soon, but not yet."

Hiccup smiled and leaned forward, letting their lips touch in a small kiss. Astrid pulled away and rested her head on his shoulder, her arm going to rest in her lap. He wrapped an arm around her back, supporting her so she wouldn't slip off with her head in that position.

It was pitch black now, the moonlight sprinkling little dots across the water. The stars were starting to shine now, twinkling down on the two lovers.

"Beautiful night." Astrid remarked quietly. "But I think we should head back before it gets too late."

Hiccup nodded, agreeing with her. It had been a long day, and he was tired. Plus there chaperone seemed to be thinking the same thing, the dragon yawning and blinking tiredly.

"Yeah, Toothless looks ready to doze off."

Toothless crooned and stood up, giving himself a little shake to rid himself of dirt. Hiccup and Astrid also stood, then climbed onto Toothless's back before leaving the sea stack behind.

Astrid hugged Hiccup tightly, her cheek lying against his back. "Thank you, Hiccup. Tonight was wonderful. Nice and relaxed- a nice break."

Hiccup smiled, craning his neck so he could see her eyes. "Anytime, milady."

 **I feel like this wasn't all that great, but I really didn't know what else to include in it. So hope this will suffice. :D**

 **Hopefully next one will be better!**

 **Oh and one more thing. REQUESTS ARE NOW CLOSED. I'm sorry, but I just have so many to catch up on, that I think I'll have to close them for a little while. Sorry again! But that's also some good news for you guys, right? Means there are lots of stories coming up. :D**


	28. Don't Hurt HIM

**Title: Don't Hurt HIM**

 **Requested by: Hershel-moon**

 **Summary: The dragon riders are capture by Hunters, and Ryker is given permission to get anything he can out of them. Nothing he's done to them can get their secrets out that is… until Ryker starts hurting Hiccup.**

 **Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, Fluff**

 **Rating: T for violence**

 **Time-line: Race to the Edge Season 4**

 **A/N: Hi people! I know I've been moving slowly with these (my apologies) but school's been busy, along with life in general. So there's my excuse, lame I know. XD Anyways, here's another chapter! WARNING: there is blood and violence. Not too much, and nothing too graphic, but it's there none the less.**

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"This is bad." Tuffnut stated absently as Hiccup continued pacing back and forth.

Astrid glared at the Thorston. "YOU THINK!? We're captured by Dragon Hunters, are dragons are nowhere to be found! And Ryker and Viggo are going to do Thor knows what to us! Or our dragons! If he's found them."

"We can hope they haven't. They're really our only hope right now." Fishleg's said pointedly. "Hopefully they didn't try to follow us right away."

"They're smart. Viggo doesn't have them." Hiccup suddenly said, his voice steady and even. Astrid looked up at him, her anger faltering for a moment at his firm expression. He didn't look afraid- nervous and a little irritated perhaps but not actually angry. It took a lot to get Hiccup angry.

Ruffnut was tossing a pebble at the wall across from her, catching it when it bounced back. "Yeah, I bet Barf and Belch have a few tricks up their sleeves! They had to learn something from us am I right?" she asked, directing the question to her brother.

"Of course!"

Astrid rolled her eyes and groaned in frustration. How Hiccup was staying calm through all this she had NO idea. Her anger levels were already sky high, not to mention her anxiety. What was Viggo going to do? Or more worriedly, Ryker?

Snotlout, who had remained quiet for the most part, spoke up in a very irritated tone. "I, personally, vote for giving up on this whole endeavor as soon as we get out of here! Me and Hooky are going back to Berk where it is safe! And! Sound!"

"Well, that would be the coward's way out, now wouldn't it?" Fishleg's said with a little smirk.

"I'm not being a coward! I'm being sensible!"

"Guys! Please." Hiccup said, lifting his hands to rub his forehead. "Trying to think."

Tuffnut nodded. "Good, get to it Hiccup! You are the best thinker out of all of us after all-"

Snotlout glared. "Hey! What about me?"

Tuffnut jumped back and scrambled at the wall, feigning a look of horror. "Oh no! Snotlout THINKING!? Take cover!"

Snotlout glared all the more before jumping forward and tackling Tuffnut in the chest, the two rolling about on the ground with loud shouts and lots of banging and punching- although neither one was very good so they missed for the most part. Ruffnut also joined in the fray, for whatever reasons finding it amusing.

Astrid scooted further away before standing up, going to Hiccup's side and resting a hand on his shoulder.

"Any ideas?" She asked quietly, her eyes looking over the barred wall before them. Hiccup just stood there for a moment, then he shook his head.

"No." he said tiredly. "This wall is sturdy, I've tried fooling the guards, but they don't pay any attention. There's just no weak spot."

Astrid smiled softly. "There's always a weak spot."

"Not this time, Astrid. I just-"

A clank of medal interrupted him, and Astrid whipped her head in the direction from which the sound came from. Her anger rushed back and she glared hatefully at the man who stepped into their view.

Ryker.

"Hello, my pets. Rested up well?"

Hiccup grabbed the bars and leaned closer. "What do you want with us, Ryker?"

Ryker spun his sword around before sliding it back into the scabbard. "Information. Or- Viggo does. I, personally would just kill you all, but he insists you can still be useful."

"Then why are you here?" Hiccup asked with caution.

Ryker grinned. "However, he did give me _permission_ to be the one to get that information out of you."

Astrid heard a little gasp/squeak come from behind her, followed by a little _thunk_. She turned around, noticing first off how Fishleg's was now lying dazedly on the ground, most likely from fear. She rolled her eyes and her resolve hardened. She glared back at Ryker, glaring even harder when she noticed he was staring right at her.

"Let us begin!" Ryker announced, waving his hand and summoning more hunters to step forward. The door was cranked open, and Astrid jumped forward, ready to fight off anyone who dared to step into punching distance. But there were over ten hunters, so she was quickly over taken, her arms twisted behind her back and tied tightly.

The others were also led out of the cave- although Tuffnut seemed more than willing to come out. He was even talking leisurely with the guard, who looked beyond board with Tuffnut's conversation about the glory of chickens.

"Tuffnut." She hissed at him angrily.

"Yes, my dear Astrid?" Tuffnut asked grandly, waving his untied hand with a flourish. Astrid's eyes widened in surprise. What the- if his hand were untied, why wasn't he doing anything!?

The guard hurriedly grabbed Tuffnut's hands and pulled them behind his back, holding them in place. Tuffnut seemed undaunted though, and just continued rambling.

All the riders were brought into an enclosed room, and to Astrid's anger, annoyance, worry, and fear, there were chains connected to the wall. The hunters untied her and the others wrists, instead clamping them into the chain cuffs on the wall. She was able to hold her arms all the way down, although the chain was short, so she couldn't lift them up all the way or really pull away from the wall at all. Neither could the others.

There were two riders to each wall, Fishlegs being next to her, the twins next, and Snotlout and Hiccup on the wall opposite from her. Snotlout was struggling against the chains, tugging at them fiercely in a meager attempt to escape their grasp.

"Stupid. Stupid. Stupid." He kept mumbling under his breath, glaring at any enemy who passed him.

Eventually, Ryker was the only one left in the room, which frightened Astrid even more. Although, of course, she didn't show it. She just kept that same fearless, angry face on, never letting it disappear. Because she knew if it did, it would reveal her down right terror.

"Now." Ryker began, starting to walk around the room. "As the saying goes, we can do this the easy way, or the hard way."

Snotlout blanched white, and his struggling ceased. "Okay, so, by easy way, you mean us just do whatever it is you want us to do, and by hard way, kill us if we don't?"

Ryker shrugged, then smirked, "Actually, killing wasn't what I had in mind. Hurting? Yes. Definitely."

Snotlout's face went even whiter, and Astrid gulped. She desperately hoped the dragons would come soon… if not…

Things would not go well at all.

"I want to know, what is the best way to conquer Berk? Weapons? Dragons? People?"

Silence was his answer, and Astrid eyed everyone slowly, seeing that they all seemed very resolute- even Tuffnut. The boy's face was hard, his eyes narrowed in irritation- or anger- Astrid wasn't certain. She was just glad to see it there at all.

"No?" Ryker asked, then shrugged. "Alright." He stepped over to a shaking Snotlout, then paused and looked thoughtful.

"This boy looks pretty weak." Ryker stated in an amused tone. Snotlout went rigid, and he glared harshly.

"You…" he snarled, pulling at the chains to try and reach the man. "I'll never ever tell you ANYTHING!"

Ryker nodded and moved on to Ruffnut, who was staring at the ceiling, wearing a bored expression on her face.

"And-" Ryker began, but Ruffnut interrupted him before he could say more.

"Not spillin' bud. And you can hurt me and do whatever you want, but I'm not telling anything." Ruffnut said firmly, her eyes hard and her gaze steady. Ryker just nodded once more before continuing on, his reaction puzzling the heck out of Astrid. This wasn't Ryker… by now he would've hit or harmed someone somehow by now… especially with all this back talk!

Tuffnut just growled and leaned forward, "Same. I agree with my sis."

Ryker just passed by, hardly acknowledging him at all. Astrid was merely confused. What was going on? Why wasn't he doing anything?

Fishlegs shook his head. "Nope." He simply said.

Astrid hardened her look again, staring right into Ryker's dark, evil eyes. "Never." She hissed.

Ryker grinned, then stepped back into the middle of the room, making Astrid even more puzzled. He hadn't asked Hiccup- who looked more than willing to give an answer. He glared at Ryker hatefully, and she knew he probably had a very snarky come-back in the makings if Ryker should ask him the same question he'd just asked everyone else.

"So, I know that none of you will tell. No matter what I do to you." Ryker stated absently. Then he walked over to Hiccup, pulling out a sword while doing so. "But, what would you do if I started hurting your little leader here?"

Astrid's breath hitched and her resolve melted away. _No. Not Hiccup! Don't hurt him!_ Her mind screamed.

The others all had similar reactions- all except Hiccup, who's expression just looked surprised, but then grew steady once more.

"Guys, don't worry. Just-"

"Don't you dare touch him." Snotlout growled, lunging at Ryker with bared teeth. Ryker smiled and placed the sword away, much to Astrid's relief. She released a breath she didn't know she was holding, gulping for air as she felt she actually deserved that pleasure.

But then, Ryker reached underneath the scabbards on his back, pulling out a long whip instead. Astrid could _feel_ the color draining away from her face, and her mouth gaped open in horror.

"No, please, don't don't don't…" Astrid whispered hoarsely. "Please DON'T HURT HIM."

Ryker unfurled the whip, snapping it once against the stone ground, making Astrid flinch. She looked up and noticed how Hiccup was breathing rather heavily, and he had beads of sweat running down his face. He licked his lip, eyeing Ryker nervously.

Anger filled every fiber of her being, and she leaned as far forward as she could, hissing hatefully, "If you touch him, I WILL KILL YOU."

"I don't think you're in a position to do that." Ryker said offhandedly, toying with the whip in his hands. "But, I won't hurt him, if you tell me about the defenses of Berk."

Astrid bit her lip, looking past Ryker at Hiccup, who was shaking his head repeatedly, telling her No, don't tell him. She silently begged him to please, just let me tell him something, but he just stared back sternly.

"I-" Astrid started, then closed her eyes and ducked her head in defeat. "I'm so sorry…" She whispered a sob choked her throat. "Just… please… don't hurt him…"

Her words went unheard, for with a snap she heard the whip come down, along with a Hiccup's surprised yelp of pain. She jerked her head up, banging it against the wall in her haste to look. She shouldn't of, for Ryker had sliced a slim but deep cut across Hiccup's arm, right below his shoulder guards. Really the only place visible through his armor.

Ryker then stepped forward and unstrapped Hiccup's chest armor and removed it, along with the shoulder guards. The wrist guards remained on, since the medal chains kept them from being removed.

"Don't!" Snotlout shouted, leaning as far towards Hiccup as possible. "Don't. Touch him you evil scum! You idiotic scoundrel, dirty hateful, spiteful-"

Astrid noticed how Ryker's eyes were narrowing in anger, and his glare was beginning to turn cold- well, colder. He picked up the whip again, his grip tight and unforgiving as he quickly raised it and brought it down across Hiccup's chest.

Hiccup jerked, trying to get away from it, but failing. He didn't make a sound, although Astrid could see he was biting his lip.

The whip came down again, this time on Hiccup's stomach. Astrid jerked forward against the chains when she heard Hiccup's moan, the noise tearing at her heart.

"LEAVE HIM ALONE YOU WORTHLESS EXSCUSE FOR A HUMAN!" Tuffnut screeched, struggling against the chains in his anger. Astrid had NEVER seen him this mad before- but he wasn't just mad, he was furious. He looked angry enough to kill, and Tuffnut rarely looked like that.

Ruffnut was just staring dazedly at the whip in shock, then at Hiccup, then back at the whip, as though not really believing what was happening.

Fishlegs had fainted long ago, and was absolutely useless at the moment. Snotlout- Snotlout was a different story entirely. He was spewing foul language- things that even Astrid would never repeat- unless of course it was to Ryker. Heck, Ryker deserved way worse then what Snotlout was calling him.

"I swear I will slice out your heart and feed it to the first dragon who wants it if you touch him AGAIN!" Snotlout screamed, writhing in the chains in his anger. "I swear, I swear, don't you dare touch him!"

Ryker's face scowled and he whipped Hiccup again, across his unarmored arm. Hiccup gasped, but again didn't voice anything.

"Tell me what I want to know, and I'll stop hurting him." Ryker stated firmly.

"Don't- guys- I'm f-fine don't-" Hiccup gasped heavily.

Silence fell, the only sound being Tuffnut's sobbing and Snotlouts whispered curses. Astrid ducked her head, feeling beyond guilty.

The sound of the whip zipping through the air came again and again, along with Hiccup's moans and small cries of pain. Astrid winced and cried harder at the sound of everyone, hating herself for not doing _anything_.

Snotlout's angry curses eventually turned in begging sobs, until he totally quieted and just stood there looking utterly defeated. Nearly everyone was crying, especially Fishleg's who had finally come out of his faint.

Astrid squeezed her eyes shut when Hiccup let out an almost scream- and something inside her snapped. She lunged forward, tears coursing down her face.

"I'LL TELL! I'LL TELL- ANYTHING. Just, stop hurting him- please." Astrid begged the last part, hoping that if she looked pathetic, Ryker would give in.

She looked up, trying to keep her face focused on Ryker and not on Hiccup's slumped body. But somehow her eyes strayed to his beaten body, and her heart was once again torn in two. His shirt was in shreds, and what remained of it was soaked in blood. His head was ducked, and his breathing heavy and raspy, each one sounding painful.

She refixed her gaze on Ryker, the man's eyes dark and unforgiving.

"That took longer than I thought." Ryker laughed. He pointed the whip at Hiccup, but kept his gaze on her. "Now tell me-"

"No- A-As-Astrid…" Hiccup stuttered, his voice weak. "Please… Dad…"

Her heart broke even more- which she didn't even know was possible at this point. By now, it was shattered. Completely broken and in a million pieces.

Ryker raised his arm threatingly. "Tell me."

Astrid's mouth moved, but no sounds came out. She was fighting an internal battle with h erself. Tell or No? Save Hiccup or Berk?

The whip came down again, Hiccup letting out another cry of pain.

Before she could think or do or say anything, a mighty roar filled the room. She closed her eyes and rolled her head at how loud it was, but it also made her want to laugh in joy. That was a roar that could be made by only one person.

A Night Fury!

"TOOTHLESS!" Astrid shrieked. She stared at the door, noticing the purple glow that was emanating form it. "IN HERE TOOTHLESS!"

The door flew off its hinges, knocking right into Ryker and swiping him all the way in to the wall where the twins were chained. Tuffnut immediately lunged and kicked Ryker in the head, knocking the man out cold.

All the dragon rushed in- or tried to any ways. The room was too small for all of them to fit in, although Toothless, Stormfly, and Hookfang did manage to squeeze in, while Barf and Belch remained outside the door, fighting off any hunter who dared to come close.

"STORMFLY!"

Stormfly rushed to her rider, hurriedly swiping her tail at the chains that locked her in place. She fell to the floor, feeling rather weak from being restrained for so long. But she recovered quickly, rushing over to the unconscious Ryker before grabbing the ring of keys and dashing over to Hiccup's side, where Toothless was now standing.

The dragon was crooning and nudging Hiccup repeatedly, along with licking his face, but nothing he did was waking the wounded boy. Astrid's hands were shaking as she slid the key in the cuffs, unlocking them with a click.

Hiccup fell forward, Toothless catching him with his head. He moaned quietly, but that was the only noise of discomfort he made. Astrid wrapped her arms around him, noticing immediately how her arms were smeared with his blood at the contact.

"Sh, we're gonna get you home, Hiccup. Don't worry…" Astrid whispered comfortingly.

Snotlout was suddenly by her side, a roll of bandages in his arms. "We have to clean him up." He said in a rush. "Do we have time or?"

"Let's get somewhere safe first." Astrid said decidedly, knowing it would be better that way. As it was, the dragons were struggling to keep all the hunters away.

Astrid scooped Hiccup in her arms before climbing onto Stormfly's back, hugging him close to her. He mumbled something incoherently, and she lifted her hand to smooth away his bangs, pressing a kiss to his sweaty forehead to reassure him.

"Hurry!" She urged Stormfly, who immediately lurched to the door, Toothless bounding close by their side. He blasted at the hunters, sending them flying across the highway and into a heap against the wall. They continued on, passing them as quickly as possible, hardly giving them any notice. The only thing their minds were fixed on was _Get Hiccup to safety_.

"A-Asti…" Hiccup murmured, his eyes blinking blearily at her. "We out..?"

"Hush, we're getting you somewhere safe. The dragons came to our rescue." Astrid smiled softly when Hiccup nodded.

"Knew they would…" he wheezed quietly.

"Now stop talking and rest… you've lost and still are a lot of blood."

Hiccup closed his eyes and leaned against her shoulder, falling silent, which worried Astrid. He actually listened to her- for once. He was usually stubborn, constantly arguing and insisting he was fine.

The dragons seemed to know where to go, so Astrid let them, focusing on keeping hold of Hiccup instead. But when they dashed out into the bright sunlight and fresh air, she allowed herself to breathe a sigh of relief, although she by no means relaxed.

Stormfly ran to the woods, weaving in and out as fast as possible, the other following close behind. No words were said, everyone was too worried to make conversation.

"Stop, girl." Astrid whispered loudly, clearing her throat when she realized how gaspy her voice sounded. Stormfly screeched to a halt, as did the others.

Astrid climbed down, Hiccups till held tight in her arms. She laid him down gently on the ground, he others coming to gather around and offer help.

"Hey." Hiccup blinked up at them dazedly. "We good?"

Snotlout shook his head and knelt down beside him, the others also doing the same as the sat down, wearing worried yet relieved looks.

"You idiot!" Snotlout shouted.

"I… don't kn-know what you m-mean…" Hiccup stuttered hoarsely.

"Stop talking." Astrid ordered, grabbing the bandages and passing them to Fishlegs. She also went through Toothless's saddle bags, pulling out all the canteens of water.

"I'm fine…" Hiccup whispered, so weakly it was almost nothing at all.

"Yeah, that's really convincing." Snotlout rolled his eyes, but he also bit his lip after saying it, obviously trying to stay calm and not show his panic and worry.

"I'm sorry…" Hiccup whispered again. "All my fault…"

"Why do you think that!?" Tuffnut asked in confusion. "How in the archipelago was that _you're_ fault?"

"Um…"

"Please, stop talking." Astrid almost begged. "It expands your chest and makes you bleed more." She explained worriedly.

Hiccup opened his mouth but Snotlout placed a hand on his shoulder, making Hiccup wince although Snotlout didn't remove it.

"Seriously cuz." Snotlout said sternly. "Shut up."

Hiccup closed his eyes and nodded slightly, his breathing evening out a bit. Toothless stepped forward and gave his cheek a little lick before laying down at his head, resting his own next to Hiccup's.

"I'll be fine." Hiccup insisted.

Ruffnut smiled through her tears. "Yeah. I think you are."

" _Always_ are."

"Escaping by just a hair" added Tuffnut. "Literally. This time."

The all fell silent while Fishlegs and Astrid continued cleaning his wounds, and the others just took time to breathe again. It'd been awhile since they'd felt safe, and now they finally did, out in the forest with their dragons there to protect them.

"Thank you." Hiccup murmured.

Astrid smiled and ran her fingers through his hair. "We're sorry Hiccup. And next time, we're talking. I don't care what you say or think, we're talking."

"You really scared me." Fishlegs squeaked.

"Us too." The twins stated, followed by Snotlout's nod of agreement.

Hiccup closed his eyes and smiled. "You guys are great, but please, just next time-"

"There won't be a next time." Snotlout said firmly.

Hiccup sighed. "You guys are the best friends ever." He said softly.

"Because of you." Astrid replied, leaning down to kiss his forehead again. "And now, let us take care of you."

 **Sorry about any typos. I'm in a hurry so… :D**

 **See you next chapter!**


	29. Lightning

**Title: Lightening**

 **Requested by: Anonymous (tumblr)**

 **Summary: A lightning storm takes place on the Edge in the middle of the night, and Toothless goes to Astrid to help a paranoid Hiccup.**

 **Genre: Hurt/Comfort**

 **Rating: K**

 **Time-line: Race to the Edge Season 4**

 **A/N: Hi everyone! So I'm working on like, three different requests all at once at the moment, so you might very well get three updates tomorrow. You'll for sure be getting one or two. :D (Sort of to pay you back for not doing very regular updates lately) Ahem, anyways, the reason I wrote this tonight is because I'm doing a request prompt on tumblr today and tomorrow, and I'm just typing up short drabbles (mainly Hiccstrid fluff) right away, so if you guys want to go on tumblr and send me a prompt request (the list is on my blog, fanwriter02, you might have to scroll a little to find it, but it should be near the top :D) then please do, and I'll most likely be posting it sooner than later! (That's also why this is rather short, because I'm not writing that long of stories, like I said, just drabbles) So anyways, I'll let you read, and if you want to go visit my tumblr account, go to my profile and I have the link under "Other Social Media's" Thanks guys and hope you enjoy this! :D**

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Lightning.

The one thing that Hiccup could openly say he was afraid of. But "could" was the key word. Would- he'd never do. Show weakness? No… he was a Viking, he couldn't show fear.

But sometimes, true terrors just can't be hidden. And even though it had been over three years since that lightning incident… every time a sharp crack split the sky, panic took hold.

Thunder rumbled, the rain coming in mad torrents against the roof of Hiccup's hut. Lightning flashed through the dark sky, making it even more vivid. Hiccup yelped and Toothless wrapped his wings around him even more, but the dragon was worried. Most of the time, he was able to keep Hiccup calm, but this time, nothing seemed to be working. Not even if he tucked his head under his wing and cooed to try and cover the noise of the storm. Nothing was helping his distressed rider.

And since they were the on the Edge, Stoick wasn't around either to help. Lightning flashed yet again, for what seemed like the hundredth time, and Hiccup let out a panicked cry, his body shaking uncontrollably.

That's it. Toothless thought, not able to put up with one more second of this. He hated to do it, but he stood up and left Hiccup exposed on the floor, hurrying to rush to the door before tossing it open and rushing out into the harsh wind and stinging rain.

The nearest hut was Astrid's so he made a bee-line for it. It must be near midnight, but he didn't care. If the girl was asleep, he'd wake her up. Hiccup needed help!

He barged into the hut, not bothering to shut the door behind him. They'd be leaving soon enough anyways. He barked frantically, running over to the bed where Astrid was now curled up, asleep.

"What!?" The girl shouted, jerking into a sitting position, her daggers drawn. Toothless skidded to a stop, the knives only inches away from his sensitive nose.

"Toothless! What is it, bud?" She asked, lowering her hands and tucking the daggers away.

Toothless barked again, turning and running towards the door. He paused and turned, barking for her to follow.

Astrid took the hint, grabbing her shoulder guards and boots on her way, already guessing why Toothless wanted her to follow. Something must be wrong. The Night Fury barely ever left his human in the night, he even slept in Hiccup's hut, so if he was here, and acting like he was, then something must be wrong.

Astrid followed Toothless into Hiccup's hut, slamming the door behind her, grateful to be out of the blowing wind that had threatened to knock her over.

"Hiccup!" She shouted, running over to the shivering form on the ground. She crashed to her knees, grabbing Hiccup's arm and rolling him over.

His eyes were shut, his breathing heavy and his body shaking. He tried to curl into himself, but Astrid's arms kept him from doing so.

"Hiccup, I'm here for you…" She soothed, taking the liberty to scoop him in her arms and hold him close to her chest. "Shh… you're safe now, I've got you…"

Hiccup choked on a sob and his arms wrapped around Astrid, hugging her fiercely while crying silently into her shoulder. She let him, just softly rubbing his back while whispering soothing words into his hair.

"What's wrong, what hurts?" She asked once he'd calmed down a smidgen- enough for him to talk.

"N-n-nothing… just the… no- I'm fine…" Hiccup stuttered, pushing himself away from her while scrubbing the tears of his face. "I'm f-fine."

Thunder rumbled and lightning flashed, causing Hiccup to let out a shout of surprise and shock before his eyes squeezed shut and he nearly collapsed.

Astrid grabbed him, keeping him from toppling over while her panic rose. "Hiccup! Tell me, what's the matter!?"

Toothless hummed worriedly before nudging Astrid, and looking towards the window. Astrid followed his gaze and noticed the lightning that lit the sky periodically, and her eyes widened in understanding and realization.

"Oh… Hiccup…" She whispered, running her hands through his hair. "I-I'm sorry I should've known- the lightning…"

Hiccup coughed and shook his head. "Sorry, I just- ever since…"

"I know, I know…" Astrid soothed, pulling him into another hug. "But it's alright, I'm here and I won't let anything hurt you."

Even though Astrid couldn't see his face, she knew he was blushing. "It's silly-" he whispered hoarsely.

"No. No it isn't." She disagreed. "It's sense. It's only logical that after such a traumatic experience you'd gain some sort of phobia of it. It's nothing to be ashamed of."

Hiccup hugged her tightly, his face hidden in her shoulder and braid. The lightning came again, but without the thunder. Astrid looked at the window, glaring at the sky as though that would scare the storm away.

Hiccup shivered, and she began rubbing his back comfortingly. "Shh… it's alright…"

Toothless cooed again before wrapping his body around both Hiccup and Astrid, his wings shading them from the outside world. Astrid leaned against the dragon, grateful for the support.

"I'm sorry- I-" Hiccup started, but she shushed him with a quick kiss before pulling his head against her shoulder again.

"Don't be, you idiot. Don't you understand I'm trying to help you?" She teased gently, again rubbing his back in a reassuring gesture. "Try to get some sleep, alright? I bet you've been up all night."

Hiccup didn't reply, assuring her correct.

"But-" he whispered, and again she interrupted him.

"Go. to. sleep." she ordered, scooting over so he was sitting beside her and could lean against her shoulder. "Toothless and I are here, we'll be here if you need us, alright?"

Toothless cooed in agreement.

"O-okay…" Hiccup murmured, his eyes already closed. "Thanks, guys…"

"Anytime, babe." Astrid nuzzled her nose against his head, letting her eyes slide shut as well. "You were there for me when I went blind, I'll be here for you."

Hiccup's even breathing was her reply, making her smile as a flash of lightning lit the room, letting her see that Hiccup was already peacefully asleep.


	30. Just Another Stitch

**Title: Just another Stitch**

 **Requesed by: Pure Silver**

 **Summary: After a small scuffle with Dragon Hunters, Heather is injured. She thinks she hid it from everyone… except for that observant Haddock who seeks her out.**

 **Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Friendship**

 **Rating: K**

 **Time-Line: Race to the Edge season 4**

 **A/N: *waves excitedly* HELLLLLOOOOO! I have returned with another story for you! I just want to say THANK YOU to all who reviewed on my last chapter. You're all so sweet and reading them makes me so so so very happy! It gives me inspiration to continue writing, so thanks again! :D**

* * *

"Watch it!" Fishlegs shouted, dodging a large boulder in the process. Heather ducked, thankful for the warning.

"Thanks!" She called out, leaning closer to Windshear's neck as even more boulders flew through the air.

"Only one ship left!" Astrid stated, she and Stormfly coming up to fly alongside Windshear. "Wanna take this one?"

"With pleasure!" Heather pushed the handles forward slightly, Windshear taking the hint and diving towards the ship below at neck breaking speeds.

The ship grew closer and closer, and Heather leaned forward a bit more. They were now above the deck, Windshear's tail whipping out to slice through the flimsy wood.

In that split second, one of the arrows zipping around them found a place in Heather's leg. At first, she thought she'd just knocked it against one of the masts, but then came the sharp piercing pain, and only then did she realize that the worse had happened.

"No…" Heather gritted her teeth tightly, reaching down a hand and ripping the arrow out, biting her lip tightly to keep from screaming. She tossed the arrow into the water, before twisting her leg and tossing her satchel over it, hoping that would conceal most of the problem until she could escape to her hut.

She and Windhsear flew up close to the others, who by now were just watching the ship sink while giving happy shouts and congratulations to each other.

"Great job, gang!" Hiccup called out, sitting up and letting go of the handles of his saddle. He was wearing a grin, and over all looked quite happy with that day's accomplishments. "Let's get back to the Edge and get something to eat. I think you all deserve some rest."

" _We_." Astrid corrected, giving Hiccup a stern glare. "You will also be eating with the rest of us, instead of making me bring food to your hut where you'll slave away and probably won't even get sleep and-"

"I get it I get it!" Hiccup interjected, giving a mock pout. "I'll eat with you guys."

Heather continued to bite her lip and her head ducked. She could feel the blood dribbling down her leg and into her boot, but she remained silent. Hopefully they'd stop their chit-chat soon, so she could go to her hut and faint already…

Snotlout spoke exactly what she was thinking. "Good grief! I'm starving, let's get back and eat instead of just talking about it!"

"I second the notion!" Tuffnut agreed with a grand air.

"And I third it!" Ruffnut chimed in.

Everyone began heading towards the Edge, which wasn't far away at all. Heather could see it quite clearly, thankfully. At least they were close to home, or else she wasn't sure she could keep her wound hidden. As it was she had to hold Windshear back so they flew behind the others.

"Hey! You okay?" Astrid asked, Stormfly smoothing out into a glide so she could fly alongside Heather and Windshear.

"What!? Oh, yeah! I'm fine…" Heather reassured quickly, hoping she didn't answer to suddenly. She hadn't really been listening to the others talk, more instead fixed on keeping her leg twisted and the satchel covering it to really notice anything else…

Astrid stared at her, and Heather prayed that her face wasn't as bloodless as she felt it was.

"Are you sure..?"

"I'm fine! Why wouldn't I be? We just won a raid from Dragon Hunters, and coming out unscathed." Heather tried to act cheerful, but it was beyond difficult to do.

Astrid smiled and nodded before Stormfly squawked and moved forward, much to heather's relief. Now she could duck her head and gnaw on her lip once more.

Windshear was about to follow the others to the Clubhouse, but Heather held her back, instead turning her towards Astrid's hut, where she was staying. She thought that maybe she got away with it, when Fishlegs called out.

"Heather! You coming? I'm cooking!"

Heather halted Windshear, and she turned to look at the others, who by now were standing on the platform outside the Clubhouse. Astrid, Hiccup, and Fishlegs were the only ones still outside, while the twins and Snotlout had already dashed into the hut, most likely stuffing their faces with snacks.

"I…" Heather sputtered, a stabbing pain in her leg making her mind blank suddenly. "I… I think I'm going to just… go back to my hut…"

She didn't wait for a reply, instead, she turned Windshear and headed towards Astrid's hut, leaving the others behind. The blood was beginning to drip off her boot now, and she wasn't sure how much longer she could hold out without fainting from blood loss.

Windshear landed, and Heather stumbled out of the saddle, leaning heavily against the wall as she made her way slowly to the door. Once inside, she made a bee-line for the bucket of drinking water on the table, grabbing a cloth on the way.

She plopped down onto her bed, dunking the cloth in the bucket before pulling off her dirty boot and rolling up her leggings. She winced at the sight of the angry wound, but didn't stop. It was bleeding heavily, her entire leg stained red.

She had just slammed the cloth over her wound when a loud knock sounded on the door, causing her to jerk her head up in surprise and panic.

"Heather?"

 _Hiccup._

"Uh, um, don't come in!" Heather shouted, hurrying to shove the bucket aside and try and pull the blanket off the bed toc over her lap, but that was difficult to do since she was sitting on the bed, and at the moment, standing caused excruciating pain to race up her leg.

She bumped her leg against the bed frame, and she let out a pained whine. There was the sound of the latch on the door cranking, and she whipped her head around again.

"Hiccup, don't come in!" She ordered, trying to sound normal, but her voice was higher pitched then normal and sounded pained.

"Heather, something's wrong, I can tell."

Before she could protest again, the door opened and Hiccup stepped inside. His eyes went wide when he saw her bending over a heavily bleeding leg, and he didn't hesitate to run forward.

"Heather, why didn't you tell me!?" He demanded as he grabbed the rag from her and wrung it out in the water. He began gingerly and gently wiping away the blood around the wound before pressing it over the wound itself.

Heather couldn't stop the hiss of pain that escaped her, and Hiccup looked up apologetically. "I'm sorry, I'm trying to be careful..."

"You're fine." Heather hissed, sliding her eyes shut while trying to find something else to focus on besides the pain. "Hiccup, _I'm_ fine. You- go eat."

Hiccup ignored her, not even acting like he'd heard her, which annoyed Heather beyond belief. Why couldn't that stubborn Haddock just listen for once in his life?

Heather lifted her other foot and tried to shove Hiccup away, but he merely pushed her leg to the floor (Since when did he get so strong?) and he sat on it, keeping her from moving even her toes. Heather struggled weakly, but knew that it was pointless. Hiccup was stubborn, and probably wouldn't leave until he'd made sure she was taken care of.

"Why didn't you tell us, Heather?" Hiccup asked quietly, pulling out the roll of bandages from the bedside table.

Heather sighed and looked away, "I- I guess… I just didn't want you guys worrying…"

Hiccup nodded and pressed a clean cloth to her wound before wrapping the bandages around it multiple times. "I understand what you mean… but I've tried it, and trust me, it's impossible. Astrid or Dad catch me first thing. Doesn't help that I'm an awful liar."

Heather smiled and nodded her head. Yep, she knew what he meant. She- and the others- were always able to see through Hiccup's lies immediately.

"But, Heather…" Hiccup started, tucking the end of the bandages in the others before leaning back on his heels (um, _heel_ ), tilting his head to look up at her. "Tell us next time, okay?"

Heather rolled her eyes and stared at the ceiling. "Fine."

Hiccup shuffled to a stand, picking up the dirty rags and dumping them into the equally dirty bucket of water. He shoved the whole lot aside, instead sitting on the bed beside Heather.

"And I can always help. So, will Astrid."

Heather glanced over at him, smiling softly. But then her face fell, as a new thought entered her mind.

"Why did Dagur call you "brother"?" She asked, clearly puzzled.

Hiccup looked surprised by the question, but didn't hesitate to answer. "When we were younger, when Ozwald-" he cleared his throat at the name "-came to renew the peace treaty with Berk, Dagur would come along too. He was… never really the nicest…"

Heather narrowed her eyes, but didn't interrupt.

"And for whatever reason, he started calling me "brother". Most of the time to make it look like me and him were chums in front of the chiefs, when really, we were enemies. But since I was… well… _"Hiccup",_ I didn't bother to tell anyone. I didn't really think anyone would listen."

Heather looked at him in sympathy, although her eyes still carried a spark of anger.

"So… yeah. The name just sorta… stuck I guess." Hiccup explained.

Heather stared down at her feet, trying to process this new bit of information. Hiccup fiddled with his hands beside her, obviously nervous and maybe even slightly embarrassed- knowing him. Hiccup always found something to be embarrassed about, or something that he'd done wrong.

"I'm sorry, Hiccup." Heather apologized softly. "I… I guess it's kind of a good thing that he's gone then, huh?"

Hiccup looked almost horrified by what she said, and he hurried to reply.

"What!? No! No no no no. Heather, it's just… he has changed." Hiccup insisted stubbornly, reaching a hand out to grab her arm, forcing her to face him. "I'm serious, Heather. Dagur… he helped me and Toothless. And Toothless trusted him, even let Dagur fly him, Heather!"

Heather shook Hiccup's hand away, glaring back at her feet. "But he hurt you- he hurt all of you. And tried to kill many of you- even your Dad!"

Hiccup nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah… I suppose he did… but Heather, that was _years_ ago. And the last time he actually attacked us was months ago. I… I really do think he changed Heather."

Heather remained silent, fighting back the tears. Her feelings were becoming that jumbled mess again, the same mess they'd been that day Dagur had sacrificed his life for theirs. Half of her was heartbroken that Dagur was gone, and that she no longer had a brother, but the other half of her hated him for all he'd done, even going as far as to try and hurt her and her friends.

Hiccup grabbed her arm again, gently and reassuringly. "I'm sorry… I- I'll leave now if you want me to…"

"No." Heather stopped him. "No, it's just…" she sighed and lifted her head to look at him. "I just… want a brother, and part of me wishes Dagur hadn't died, but then the other half is happy he's gone, that he can't hurt you or my friends or… or me. I just…" She sighed heavily again. "I just want a family, Hiccup."

Hiccup brought his other hand to grab her free arm, turning her so she was totally facing him now.

"Heather, you have a family. We" He gestured wildly about, "We're your family, Heather. Astrid, Fishlegs, the twins- even Snotlout. We're your friends. We're… we're like one big family."

Heather sniffed and wiped away a tear on her sleeve. "Thanks, but… it's still not the same."

"Yeah, I know…" Hiccup muttered. "But, seriously Heather, I know, you miss- you want a brother and a family but…" Hiccup smiled, "Heck, I'll be your big brother now, k?"

Heather snorted laughter amongst her tears, smiling up at Hiccup thankfully. "Thanks Hiccup, but you don't-"

Hiccup laughed and surprised her by pulling her into a tight hug. "Nope, you're stuck with me now, little sis."

Heather chuckled again, hugging him back before pulling away, rolling her eyes teasingly. "Since when am I your "little sis". I'm older then you, remember?"

Hiccup shrugged. "So, I'm… definitely more mature." He smirked at her fake angry expression.

"You little-" Heather punched him in arm, Hiccup laughing and rubbing it as though it hurt, although he'd hardly flinched when she'd inflicted it.

"But Heather, you have to promise to tell me and the others when you're hurt, okay? We take care of each other. That's what a family does."

Heather nodded, lowering her eyes to her folded hands in her lap. "I will. Thank you, Hiccup."

Hiccup stood up, his prosthetic clicking, "Do you need help getting to the clubhouse?"

Heather pushed herself to a stand, and used the bed as a crutch before bending down and grabbing some spare boots, slipping them on before trying to take a step forward. She yelped and lifted her bad leg with a wince.

"Here." Hiccup offered, grabbing her arm and slinging it over his shoulder. "Or would my sis like a piggy back ride?"

Heather snorted. "Like you'd be able to carry me."

Hiccup faked an indignant look. "Why, I'm hurt!" he placed a hand at his chest before playfully pushing her back and stepping forward, grabbing her legs carefully and pulling her onto his back. "Ha! See, I can do it just fine."

Heather laughed and hung onto his shoulders, feeling actually happy for the first time in a long while. Would this have been what it would've been like if Dagur had lived? If he'd stayed to be her "brother"?

Hiccup stepped outside the door, the sun now dipped a little towards the West, indicating it was past noon. Hiccup turned and headed towards the clubhouse, Windshear and Toothless tagging along behind.

Hiccup shifted her, pulling her a little higher up on his back so she wouldn't fall. He stumbled on a piece of wood with his prosthetic, earning a little mutter of " _Stupid leg_ " under his breath.

Heather smiled and ruffled his hair with her hand, "Having trouble, little bro?"

"You, be quiet." Hiccup muttered playfully. "And remember, _you're_ the little one."

Heather shook her head, lifting it when she heard the sound of more footsteps.

Astrid was grinning from ear to ear as she stopped a few feet ahead of them, crossing her legs and leaning against the building. "Well, well, well, what are you two doing?"

Hiccup gave a little jump of surprise, having not realized she was there until that moment. Heather hung on a bit harder, nearly taking a tumble to the wooden walkway when Hiccup stumbled.

"Heather, hurt herself." Hiccup said, nodding his head back to the person on his back. "And needed some help getting to the clubhouse."

Astrid looked at Heather, her eyes still laughing. Heather grinned back, whacking Hiccup upside the head gently.

"And for whatever reason, this dork has taken upon himself the task of being my older brother."

Astrid's eyes widened, but she recovered quickly, the smile once again lighting up her face. "He has, has he? But- aren't you the younger one, Hiccup?"

Hiccup scoffed. "The brother is always older."

Astrid laughed and slapped her knee. "Just because Tuffnut is older than Ruffnut does not mean all brothers are the older out of siblings."

Hiccup shrugged- or tried to anyways. With Heather on his back it was rather difficult though. "That is beside the point."

Both Heather and Astrid laughed, while Hiccup began walking again towards the clubhouse, Astrid falling into step beside them.

"Are you alright, Heather?" Astrid asked, concerned when her eyes caught sight of the bandages wrapped around Heather's thigh.

"Yes, I'm fine." Heather reassured.

Hiccup rolled his eyes. "She can't walk, so I don't know if that's exactly what I'd call "fine" or not."

Heather again clubbed him in the head.

"Ouch, hey! Don't hi your older bro, sis!"

Astrid was laughing uncontrollably now, nearly doubled over with tears streaming down her cheeks. "Oh, gosh, Heather!" the two high-fived in sinc.

"What!? Do you two gang up on me or something?" Hiccup asked indignantly.

Heather hugged Hiccup around the neck, rubbing her knuckled fist against his head. "Naw, and even if we did, it's just because we love you, bro."

 ***Groans* me and my stupid endings. XD**

 **Quick note here, sorry about not updating yesterday! I thought this uploaded, but (obviously) it didn't! So, sorry again! :D**


	31. Stryke Out What-if Part 1

**Title: Stryke Out What-if**

 **Requested by: Guest**

 **Summary: What if the gang had arrived a little too late to save Hiccup and Toothless..? (Lots of Hiccup!whump and Hiccstrid)**

 **Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Friendship**

 **Rating: T for injury**

 **Time-Line: Race to the Edge season 3**

* * *

Hiccup tugged harder on the medal lock around the Razorwhip's tail, but the thing was stuck tight. At the sound of clanging, something like medal against medal, Hiccup glanced up towards the door, worried that someone was returning.

A guard's face appeared at the little window of the door, making Hiccup stand up a bit straighter, prepared to fight off the man if the need came. There was a clank and another creak before the door swung open, revealing a heavyset man dressed in Dragon skins.

"Come on." The guard grumbled, stepping forward and unlocking Hiccup's ankle with a click. "The boss apparently wants to see ya'."

Hiccup's arms were twisted behind his back where they were tied tight with a thick rope. He tugged a bit, struggling angrily against the burly man that had a tight grip on his arms.

He was shoved out the cell, the medal door slamming shut and keeping him from seeing the dragons, as well as the dragon fight that Toothless was now battling. He struggled some more, gritting his teeth with the effort to fight such a larger man then himself.

"Stop yer struggling!" The guard twisted Hiccup's arm a bit more, making him whine in pain. He relented, and let himself be led through the stone dungeon hallways, keeping his gaze ahead so he didn't have to look at the dragons chained in each cell.

"Who wants me? Viggo?" Hiccup finally asked, noticing how they were getting closer to the exit.

The man grunted. "More like a Penny Pincher. You and that Night Fury got me a lot of money, and he wants you for himself."

Hiccup remained silent, his mind turning as he tried to figure out what was happening. So did that mean they'd take Toothless out of the fight? He dearly hoped so. If he and Toothless were put together… maybe they'd have a chance of escaping.

"Hurry." The man pushed Hiccup forward and out the door into the dimming sunlight. Hiccup blinked to readjust to the surprising brightness of the sun setting sky, only then realizing how long it had been since he'd actually seen out and out daylight.

"Move on! Ryker will have my head if we don't get there soon." The man grumbled again, for the hundredth time giving Hiccup a shove that nearly sent him to his knees. With his hands tied, it was difficult to catch his balance, especially with a prosthetic leg and the rocky earth.

"Ryker, huh?" Hiccup muttered. Big surprise.

"Hiccup, good to see ya." Came the Grimborn's deep voice, and Hiccup looked up slowly to pear at the man through his bangs. He glanced away with a scowl, tugging a bit more against the ropes that bound him. Toothless was nowhere to be seen, and that had him worried. If Ryker had already taken Toothless away…

"Place him in my ship." Ryker ordered with a nod towards the bay. "Have your men get the Night Fury."

Before Hiccup could say, do, or think anything, the Hunter had already shoved him away and towards the dock. The entire time Hiccup's mind was turning in any idea to escape. Thor, if only the others would show up soon…

Hiccup was led to a large battle ship that was anchored in the bay, and it was clearly a hunter ship. Large spikes and medal armor was layered over it, along with a few Dragon Proof cages scattered across the deck.

Nobody said a word to him, so Hiccup chose to be silent. He was too busy thinking anyways, taking in everything and analyzing every detail. Looking for any flaw or weakness. Any means of escape.

Some curious and confused eyes followed him, making Hiccup feel slightly awkward. Thankfully though, he was being led to the hull of the ship where a trap door lay, where he'd be able to escape curious gazes, although escape captivity? Definitely not.

The man pushed Hiccup down the steep steps, forcing him to land on his knees at the bottom. Hiccup winced and struggled to his feet, leaning against the wall for support.

The man continued walking, grabbing Hiccup by the arm on the way. "Take my money." He grumbled. "Wants the dragon he gets the dragon! Grr and they were making me such a pretty penny too."

Hiccup stumbled again, the man letting out an angry bark before jerking him to his feet. "Keep up! Would ya?"

"Well, untying my hands would definitely help the one-legged Viking keep his balance." Hiccup murmured sarcastically.

"Shut up."

Hiccup shrugged, but was jerked again before getting tossed into a small cell, the medal door sliding shut behind him, followed by the click of the lock.

More grumbling was heard from outside as the man walked away, and soon, Hiccup was left in darkness.

But since when did something like that stop him from plotting escape?

He stood up and fumbled about, but since his arms were still tied it made it a bit difficult. He followed the wall to the door, then turned so his back was facing it before letting his hands trail over the lock, looking for a way to unlock it from the inside.

His hands grazed over something sharp, and he let out a shout of surprise when he felt it slice into his hand. He pulled away from the door, hissing as the sharp pain stung his palm.

"Darn it." He whispered, looking up at the thing stream of light escaping in through the crack in the door. "So much for that." He slumped onto the floor, feeling how it was rocking back and forth.

Wasn't even five minutes later when the ship gave a jerk, sending Hiccup sliding over to the opposite wall.

"Toothless!?" Hiccup called out, hoping his dragon had been placed on the same ship. Although he highly doubted it, he would've known if Toothless was nearby. If he was, there would've been a lot more racked over the past few minutes.

Hiccup leaned against the wall, his cupped hand filling with the blood from his wound. He sighed and tried to find a comfortable position, although with his hands tied it seemed like a fruitless cause.

It really was only a few moments later when Hiccup's door swung open, revealing another Hunter in the doorway.

He didn't say anything as he grabbed Hiccup by the arm and pushed him out the door and down the hall. At the end was another door, which Hiccup reasoned was where he was heading.

The Hunter opened the door before pulling Hiccup inside, then leaving without another word, locking the door behind him.

"Hiccup." Hiccup turned towards the voice, noticing warily how it just so happened to be Ryker. "Now, let's get down to business."

Hiccup again didn't say a word, which obviously surprised the large man, one of his eyebrows quirking questioning.

"No sarcasm? Good… maybe you're learning."

Hiccup smiled and rolled his eyes, "Maybe I don't need to say anything."

Ryker glared before motioning towards the chair before the desk. Hiccup eyes it, then looked back at Ryker, but made no move to do as was silently told. Ryker growled then stepped forward and shoved Hiccup into it.

"Now. Viggo wants you alive." He spat out the last word, as though it was distasteful in his mouth. "But he did say I could persuade you a bit."

Hiccup glared, his eyes following Ryker's movements as the man walked around the table.

His heart fluttered when Ryker paused by the table, drawing out a knife that he tossed lightly in his hand. "And I was _very_ happy to hear his consent." Ryker drawled slowly.

He leaned forward, his eyes cold, dark, and utterly terrifying.

The knife grew closer.

…

"Explosions! Yeah!" Tuffnut shouted, waving an arm in the air. "Blow this place, Belch!"

Stormfly landed with a skid against the stone ground, letting out a stream of fire at a small group of Hunters. Instantly they were on the run, scattering into the trees around the arena.

Stormfly lunged and caught one of the Hunters between her talons, snarling and squawking menacingly down at the frightened man.

Astrid jumped from her dragon's back, landing with a light thud on the ground, her axe tight in her grip as she lowered it to the man's throat.

"Where's Hiccup?" She growled, placing a bit of pressure against the blade.

The man squeaked and struggled to escape, but with one snap of Stormfly's jaw he froze in place, looking extremely panicked and desperate.

"H-he's with Ryker. Ryker took him on his ship towards Viggo's base. Him and the dragon. Th-that's all I know I swear!"

Astrid glared for a minute, then nodded and leaned back, pulling her axe away. Stormfly followed suit, and as soon as the man was free he dashed off with a scream of terror.

"Anything?" Snotlout asked, he and the others landing around her.

"Not in the dungeon, not in any of the stands…" Fishlegs counted off, looking more and more worried by the second.

"He's on Ryker's ship." Astrid announced, vaulting onto Stormfly's back. "We need to hurry before they get away!"

Stormfly jumped into the air, the others having no choice but to follow. They left the arena in nothing but smoking ruins, much to Astrid's delight. One Hunter Dragon Hunting ring gone, how many left to go? Hopefully not many…

Astrid gnawed on her lip as her eyes scanned the ocean for any signs of a ship. If they'd already passed from view… there was no finding them without lots of difficulties and many problems.

"I see it!" Snotlout shouted, pointing wildly towards the horizon. "Two big ships!"

Astrid quickly looked in the direction he pointed out, and a smile flashed across her face. "Thank Thor." She breathed, relief filling her being. "Hurry!" She shouted behind her, then leaned forward to urge Stormfly into a faster pace.

"We're coming, Hiccup, we're coming." She murmured softly. "Hang on just a little while longer…"

…

Hiccup wished he could just pass out already. He thought maybe he was heading that way when his vision faded grey for a moment, but then the sharp stabbing pain disappeared for just a moment, and his vision came back into focus, much to his dismay.

Ryker was scowling, the knife still held in his hand. He set it aside, and Hiccup let his head fall back against the chair, his breathing deep and uneven. He didn't care anymore. He just wanted to faint, he wanted the pain to end. He wanted his dragon, his Dad, Astrid…

Ryker grabbed a handful of Hiccup's hair, jerking his head forward with a painful jolt. Again, Hiccup began to see spots at the fast movement, and he closed his eyes, hoping the blackness was take over.

"When Viggo's do-" Ryker began, but was suddenly cut short with a heavy jolt of the ship, sending the man flying across the room and crashing into the desk, sending papers flying. Hiccup, still tied to the chair which was bolted to the floor, stayed in place, although the heavy rock made his headache pound harder and his vision darken even more. Again, he stayed still, hoping it would take over…

"Dragon Riders!" Came a distant shout, and in an instant Hiccup's eyes flew open. _Dragon Riders…_

His mind was too muddled by the pain that it took a moment for him to process this information, but by the time he'd decided to try and cry out for help, Ryker was beside him, a hand slamming over Hiccup's mouth.

"Shut up and don't say a word." The big man ordered gruffly. "If you do, more pain will come."

Hiccup struggled weakly, the tight grip on his head beginning to make him feel lightheaded and faint. No, _of course_ , just when he didn't want to pass out he would…

"HICCUP!" came another distant but very recognizable shout, one that pierced the ringing of his ears. Hiccup moaned and tried to say her name, but Rykers hand prevented him.

"Shut. Up." Ryker growled, his fingers working to unlock the chains at the bottom of the chair.

"Mmph." Hiccup coughed, his vision fading into white. No, he had to stay awake! If he passed out they might never find him…

"HICCUP!?" there were heavy thumps coming from the deck above, along with the creaking of wood. Hiccup struggled some more, while Ryker continued to untie him from the chair.

More voices, ones that sounded mumbled and dimmed drifted down through the floorboards.

"Go search the other ships for Hiccup and Toothless. Stormfly and I will look through this one, and hurry!"

 _Astrid…._

Hiccup felt adrenaline hit him full force, and he took that opportunity to struggle with all the strength he had left. Ryker was taken by the surprise, and since he'd just finished undoing the knots Hiccup was able to escape his hold and tumble to the floor, his hands still tied behind his back.

"ASTRID!" He shouted, hoping his voice wasn't too hoarse to be unrecognizable. Ryker tackled him the next moment, and once more Hiccup was gagged, this time with a dirty white cloth.

"You'll pay for that stunt." Ryker growled quietly in his ear, shoving him towards a corner of the room. He bent down and pulled open a trap door, pushing Hiccup inside before jumping in after him.

When Hiccup hit the shallow cold wood beneath he couldn't help but let out a muffled groan. His wounds were screaming pain, and he was dripping blood all over the floor boards. And even though it had only been a short fall, Hiccup's ears were ringing painfully and his head sported a consistent pulse.

Hiccup closed his eyes when he heard the crank of the trap door closing, for at this point he knew that with Stormfly on the ship, A Tracker Dragon, he would be found… eventually. He just hoped Stormfly was alert enough to catch his scent, even if he was covered in blood.

All fell silent, except for the heavy thuds that came from above. Ryker had crawled to the opposite side of the ship, as far away from Hiccup as possible. He probably hoped that if he was over there, Astrid and Stormfly wouldn't see him. And with Hiccup so disoriented, he probably wouldn't be of much help.

"Hiccup!?" Came an echoey voice from above, followed by a short squawk. "What is it girl?"

 _Please, please, please…_ Hiccup repeated in his head. _I-I'm down here…_

More scuffling, then the sound of cloth against wood.

"A door! Good job, Stormfly." The voice said in a praising tone, followed by a happy squawk.

Hiccup mustered up enough strength to moan, trying to do so as loud as possible. But again the gag kept him from being heard.

The door cranked open, dull sunlight lighting the dark, damp space. Hiccup kicked his medal leg out against the medal pole in the ship, making a dull _thud._

A blond head appeared from the trap door, Astrid's braid hanging down above her head and her bangs out of her eyes. She glanced about until her eyes fell on Hiccup, and instantly her cautious attitude was momentarily replaced by shock, then worry and concern.

"Oh, _gods_." She whispered, before dropping down on the floor. Since it was too shallow to walk upright, she crawled over until she was beside him, her fingers hurrying to untie the gag. Once it was off, Hiccup gasped and coughed several times, turning his head in attempts to get air back into his lungs. His vision momentarily went white, but as he began breathing normally again, his vision came back into focus, as did his hearing.

"Hiccup, oh Thor, this is- hold on, Hiccup. We're getting you out of here-"

"Ryker." Hiccup wheezed. "He-he's…"

"Shh…" Astrid murmured, her fingers now working to untie the knots around his wrists. "Don't speak, Hiccup. Please… _please_ don't."

Hiccup sighed and let his head rest against the floor and his eyes slide closed. He was contemplating just leaving Ryker there and letting him get away, but another part of him knew that he should just open his mouth and tell Astrid the man was hiding in the shadows.

The ropes fell away, and Hiccup moved his hands up to his chest, rubbing them weakly in attempts to bring back circulation. Astrid rolled him onto his back before helping him sit, her arm wrapped under his shoulder blades.

"Okay, okay… um… can you move- at all- Hiccup? Just enough to get out the door?"

He nodded, his throat too dry and raw to reply. Dry from lack of water and raw from screaming.

"Okay, just, carefully and slowly. No rush."

Hiccup nodded his head before rolling onto his stomach, whining when his wounds touched the floor. Astrid _shh'd_ reassuringly before her arms were once again there to help him onto his hands and knees.

Hiccup glanced down and noticed the smears of blood against the floor from where he'd just been lying. His entire shirt was soaked, and his mind flashed to the thought of _We have to get my armor…_ but then it was gone, the next instant replaced by the desperate need to get out and find Toothless. To make sure his Dragon and the other riders as well as their dragons were safe.

"Slowly…" Astrid murmured, her hands hovering nearby in case he need support. "Okay, just, take it easy, alright?"

Hiccup again nodded, biting his lip to keep from screaming at the painful position he was in. Hunched over like this with multiple lacerations across your chest and stomach? Not a good position to be in AT ALL.

The move was slow, and every movement Hiccup made sent tremors of pain racing through his body. But somehow, he managed to keep going. Stay silent- that he failed. Every time he let out a moan, or that one time a high pitched whine, Astrid had instantly began rambling apologies for things she hadn't done.

Finally, they made it to the trap door, and Astrid jumped up first before reaching down to help Hiccup out. He collapsed on the floor while Stormfly squawked worriedly, nudging Hiccup's limp hand while crooning worries.

Astrid rushed off, leaving him alone with only Stormfly for company. He distantly heard her shouting for help, crying for the other rider's attention, and an instant later she was back by his side again, running fingers through his hair and wiping blood off his face.

"Shh, the others are coming. Heather has medical training she'll know what to do."

Hiccup let out the slightest of nods, finding that even that little movement used up all the strength he had. Astrid continued rubbing her fingers against his scalp, helping to ease his headache and keep him calm down. The pain didn't seem as bad when she was there helping him, and now that he knew he was safe, it felt even better.

All thoughts of Ryker hiding under the deck had left his dazed mind.

The sound of pattering feet resounded through the floorboards, alerting Hiccup that his friends had arrived. Heather was the first to appear, a large satchel flung over her shoulder, while Fishlegs wasn't far behind, many bundles of bandages stacked in his arms. The rest filed in one big group- Snotlout, Tuffnut, and Ruffnut. Everyone but Snotlout and the twins looked worried, although when those three saw him they're happy-go-lucky expressions changed to shocked or expressionless.

Heather crashed to her knees and began pulling stuff from the satchel, laying them out around her as she began speaking soothing words of comfort. Hiccup dazed off a bit, letting his eyes slide shut once more and focusing more on breathing then listening to the mumble of words.

"Hiccup?" rang a clear voice. _Astrid's_ , and at the sound of it Hiccup automatically blinked up at her. When she spoke, you listened, no matter what. He had learned that the hard way. Not only that, but her voice was pleasant to his ears, even when it was thick with concern or cracked when she said his name.

"You have to drink this." She said clearly, holding up a mug. He blinked before moaning and looking away, the thought of drinking or eating anything sounding utterly unpleasant.

"Please, Hiccup." Astrid's voice begged. "It-it'll help with the pain…"

So…. That must mean that whatever Heather or Fishlegs had to do to him would be painful.

Terrific. (Sarcasm _so_ included)

He didn't reply, and Astrid must've taken that as his consent for she as helping him sit up slightly, his head resting against her shoulder. His mind focused on that, noting how he loved how her skin was warm and calming against his and how he wished he could just lay there and bask in her presence forever.

He didn't even react when Astrid placed the cup to his lips. He automatically swallowed it, letting the burning liquid make its way down his throat. It was an immediate reaction, his body instantly rejecting whatever liquid it was that entered his system.

He gagged and Astrid had barely enough time to turn his head before the medicine, along with the other contents of Hiccup's stomach, met the floor. Hiccup whined pitifully, the gagging motion pulling at his wounds.

"Oh no…" Astrid whispered, and Hiccup looked up just in time to see her give Heather a worried glance.

Everything went fuzzy for a moment, and Hiccup's hearing tuned out just as Heather was about to answer. All he received were incomprehensible mumbles, ones that lulled his exhausted mind to join the land of slumber.

"Just… hold him. It'll help keep him calm…" came Heather strained voice. Hiccup tried to voice a protest, to try and tell them that he'd be fine and not to worry, but his vocal chords refused to work, and honestly, he didn't have enough will power to fight them.

"Alright, Hiccup, I'm here, don't worry everything's gonna be fine…" Astrid whispered, her voice so close to his ear he could feel her breath against his skin. He absently leaned closer, wanting to feel that warmth again and here her soft voice.

Pain came, and Hiccup distantly heard himself scream. Everything became far away, as though he were in the opposite room when really he was the closest one to everything happening. The sound of something breaking, followed by the worried croons of a very familiar dragon, and then… the darkness finally took over.

…

Astrid had never been more worried in her life.

Even that time with the Red Death… nothing compared to the events that were happening now.

-Or- more like what had happened in the course of the last hour.

Now, Hiccup bandages up and still unconscious in her arms, as they sailed through the sky at rapid speeds towards Dragon's Edge, seeing as how that was right on their way to Berk. They'd stop at the Edge, and if Hiccup still wasn't awake and didn't seem to be getting any better, they'd continue on to Berk to see Gothi and Stoick. But if he showed signs of recovering, then they'd stay at the Edge and instead _Terror Mail_ Stoick and Gothi, having them come to the Edge instead of forcing Hiccup to travel.

She glanced down again at the wounded boy in her arms, pulling him a bit tighter against her chest. His face was pale and his brows pinched together slightly in obvious discomfort, and her very being ached for him. She didn't understand why these things always seemed to happen to Hiccup, and why he always seemed to be the victim of the painful situations. It was _always him._

Hiccup whined quietly in his sleep, and Astrid leaned forward to place a small kiss on his cheek, hoping that would calm him down somewhat. It seemed to do the trick, for Hiccup relaxed instantly and seemed to fall into a deeper sleep.

"How's he doing?" Heather asked, she and Windshear coming to fly alongside Stormfly.

Astrid bit her lip and looked up, shaking her head. "He's in so much pain, Heather…"

She nodded and looked crestfallen. "I know… I just wish he'd been able to stomach that medicine. It would've helped his condition so much."

Astrid refocused her attention on Hiccup, Heather taking the hint and letting Windshear fall back a bit, allowing Astrid privacy and silence.

She pushed Hiccup's bangs out of his forehead, pausing when she noticed that one of his braids had come undone. She instantly set to redoing it, finding it rather difficult to do with only one hand but somehow accomplishing the small task. Once finished, she let her fingers trail down his pale cheek until her hand rested at his chest.

"Wake up soon…" She whispered, grabbing his limp hand before pressing a kiss to his fingers.

 **So….**

 **Yeah….**

 **No words….**

 **Well, actually I do have a few words XD (I always do!)**

 **First of all, this got A LOT LONGER then I'd originally anticipated… but I suppose it's a good thing. Helps make up for the last two weeks that I haven't updated. (oops)**

 **And secondly, do you want more of this? Like, if Hiccup wakes up or what happened to Toothless and all that jazz? If you do, just let me know in the reviews and I'll try to type up a Part 2 tomorrow! :) ;D**

 **Ahem, so, I must be getting' off to bed now. Tootless for now! (Don't forget to say if you want more of this ^)**

 **Love you all, thanks for readin'! (Also, 70 FOLLOWERS!? THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!)**


	32. Stryke Out What-If Part 2

**Title: Stryke Out What-If Part 2**

 **Requested by: Guest**

 **Summary:** **What if the gang had arrived a little too late to save Hiccup and Toothless..? (Lots of Hiccup!whump and Hiccstrid) (And this chapter has a bit of Hicctooth :D)**

 **Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Friendship**

 **Rating: T for injury**

 **Time-Line: Race to the Edge season 3**

* * *

The flight was long and stressful for Astrid's nerves, and by the time Dragon's Edge came into view she was certain she'd earned grey hairs long before her due time. She continued her careful watch over Hiccup, his eyelids remaining shut and his mouth slightly parted, revealing the truth that he was indeed unconscious and not just asleep as Astrid had hoped.

She glanced over towards the twins and Snotlout, who's dragons were carrying a struggling Night Fury. Toothless had struggled every inch of the way, trying to pump his wings and paw his way to Hiccup. His soulful moans and frantic barks tugged on Astrid's heart strings, but she knew that there was nothing that could be done. No one knew how to fly Toothless for such a long flight, and the dragon himself was wounded from what Astrid presumed to be the Dragon Fights. He had a deep gash on his paw, along with another cut along his back near his tail. He was definitely in no flying conditions, not that anyone could fly him anyways. Not with Hiccup unconscious.

Toothless moaned again, his eyes locking with Astrid's. His green eyes were nearly consumed by the black of his pupil, and that alone told Astrid that this dragon was frantic with worry for his rider. The larger the pupil, the more curious or concerned the Night Fury was.

"Thank Thor." Fishlegs whispered, nodding towards the Edge that was now coming into view. "Do we stop or keep going?"

Heather opened her mouth to reply, but Astrid answered before words could be spoken. "We keep going. He-he hasn't woken up and some of his wounds are still bleeding."

Heather shook her head before saying tenderly. "Astrid… he's too weak. We need to stop and pick up supplies and take more time to clean the wounds. Berk is almost a day away from the Edge, there's no way…" her voice trailed off, and she blinked before saying softly. "He won't make it Astrid if we keep going- without a rest. He needs nutrition and rest. So do we."

Astrid looked away with a silent sob, her eyes once more landing on Hiccup's pale face. She let her hand hover over his mouth, feeling his warm breath against her skin before letting it fall lightly onto his chest, feeling the bulk of bandages under his shirt. Just by that small movement Hiccup's brows drew together in a pained expression.

"He's in so much pain, Heather…" She repeated, feeling tears sting her eyes.

"I know. But, once we get to the Edge, I can make some more medicine- and that should help with the pain and infection."

Toothless whined and clawed at the air, his vibrating moan sounding through the still air. Astrid refused to look at the Dragon. To look at the grief. She knew if she did, she'd most likely burst into tears. And Hofferson's _DON'T CRY_.

Dragon's Edge appeared before them, and Astrid released a sigh of relief before turning back to Hiccup, brushing back another bit of his wayward bangs. "We're here." She whispered soothingly. "We'll message for your Dad and Gothi, they'll come and everything will be fine."

Hiccup didn't respond.

Heather and Fishlegs were the first to land, followed by Astrid and Stormfly. The twins and Snotlout flew on a bit towards the stables before dropping Toothless down, doing as Heather had suggested. Drop Toothless off up on the higher platform and give Fishlegs, Heather and Astrid some time to get Hiccup inside and things somewhat under control.

Astrid slid off Stormfly's back, holding Hiccup tight in her arms. Fishlegs stepped forward and gently picked him up, holding Hiccup bridle style. All three hurried inside Hiccup's Hut, Heather figuring that'd be the best place to keep him.

Fishlegs laid Hiccup out on the bed carefully, then turned and grabbed a few pillows and gently tossed them to Astrid, who arranged them under Hiccup's head. He moaned only once, and even that sound was soft. Almost as though he were dreaming and muttering someone's name.

Heather ran up the stairs then, carrying several satchels along with a few bottles and a bucket of water. "Okay. Fishlegs, you know how to make that pain reliever, so here." She handed him a satchel, and he obediently scurried down the stairs. Heather turned to Astrid handing her the bucket and a cloth.

"Can you help me clean the wounds?" She asked quietly, not wanting to push. Astrid nodded mutely, following Heather's gesture and pulling Hiccup's shirt up to his neck.

It was almost like he wore another shirt underneath, for his entire torso was covered in bandages. In some spots there were bloodstains, while in others there wasn't. Heather got to work, slowing unwrapping the many layers of bandages.

Astrid looked up when she heard a door slam, followed by frantic footsteps and worried croons. Toothless leapt up the stairs, his feet skidding against the wood in his urgent rush.

He leapt into the loft before making a beeline to Hiccup's bed, stopping by Astrid's side. The dragon slid to a stop, sitting up so straight that he was taller than Heather or Astrid. He looked down at his rider, his eyes wide and his breaths coming out in puffs. After a few moments, he bent down and huffed into Hiccup's face, ruffling the unconscious boy's face with his breath.

Toothless moaned sadly before moving his head and resting it down by Hiccup's hand, the dragons body now wrapped around Astrid's legs. She didn't mind it at all, in fact, the warmth of his scales helped comfort her, and let her know that she wasn't the only one grieving.

She turned and took in a sharp breath at the sight of Hiccup's skin. Heather had just finished pulling off the last layer of bandages, and about the last three layers had been soaked in either blood or yellow pus. Astrid felt bile rise in her throat at the sight, along with the twist in her stomach.

"Oh, Hiccup…" she found herself whispering in horror.

Toothless moaned again, his eyes looking sorrowful as he lifted his head, his tongue sliding out of his mouth before he began licking at Hiccup's wounds.

"No, Toothless!" Heather shouted, trying to shove the dragon away. "Don't, Toothless!"

"It's fine, Heather." Astrid reassured, letting her hand grab Hiccup's cold one while Toothless continued licking. "His saliva contains some sort of healing liquid. Hiccup uses it all the time on cuts or burns, so Toothless is helping."

Toothless crooned, nodding his head slightly as he continued on.

Hiccup moaned, making all three freeze in place. Toothless's whole body vibrated in his excitement at the possibility of his rider waking up, his stout tail giving a small wag.

Hiccup's eyes screwed shut and he rolled his head to the side with another groan which turned into a high-pitched whine at the end. Astrid hurried to move closer, half sitting on the side of the bed as she ran her fingers through his hair.

"It helps." She informed Heather, who had quirked an eyebrow at the motion. Toothless backed off, his head remaining high in the air as he looked down on the small group.

Heather turned and took the bucket from Astrid's hand, ringing out the rag before lightly sponging the worst wounds. Hiccup whined again, the sound tearing at Astrid's heart.

"Shhh…. It's alright. We're taking care of you, it'll be alright…"

Heather hurriedly cleaning the wounds, several of them bleeding again. Thankfully, it looked like she'd washed away most of the yellow pus, but now that the blood was flowing again, Astrid wasn't certain which was better.

"Heather, he's bleeding!" She voiced in alarm.

Heather was threading a needle quickly, pulling the thread through before snapping the end with her teeth. "I know! Toothless, hold down his legs. Astrid, make sure he doesn't hurt himself when he starts thrashing."

Astrid _felt_ the blood drain from her face as she stuttered a reply. "Th-thrash..?"

"Okay." Heather leaned forward, holding the needle close to the largest of the wounds, which was an outright stab under his ribs. It was the worst, and the deepest, and was also the one losing the most blood. "One, two… three."

Astrid had to jump forward, her arms pushing down against Hiccup's shoulders as he lurched forward. Toothless didn't have a problem down at his end, but it was obvious it was hard for the Dragon to do emotionally. For Hiccup to be hurting and Toothless not being able to do anything but watch. Astrid knew what the dragon was going through, for she herself was experiencing the exact same feeling.

Hiccup screamed, and Astrid swore she couldn't take anymore. _No more!_ And this was just the first wound! There were about fifteen more to go…

"Hiccup! Hiccup, _shh_ , Hiccup we're here. Don't worry, you'll feel better once we're done. Oh, gods, I'm sorry I'm sorry _I'm sorry_ …" Astrid rambled, not sure if she was heard by anyone over the sound of Hiccup's screams and heavy breathing. Thank goodness Heather was swift and fast with the job, for she'd already finished several wounds. The worst ones. The others were smaller and not as deadly, although Astrid doubted if they were any less painful.

She jerked her head back to face Hiccup when she heard him mumble something incoherent, and she nearly had a heart attack of surprise and relief when she saw his emerald green eyes. He was dazed and panicked, but when he caught sight of her she felt him relax under her hands.

"That's it, Hiccup…." She soothed, moving her hand from his shoulder up to cheek. She rubbed it calmingly as Hiccup closed his eyes again, breathing heavily but no longer moaning or shouting in pain. "It's alright, we're here. Nothing's gonna get you, Hiccup. You're safe."

Hiccup sighed and leaned against her hand, she rubbing her thumb in a light circle on his skin. It helped him relax, and soon his breathing calmed to only short huffs instead of the rapid gasps he'd been taking previously.

"Thank Odin…" Heather muttered, Astrid turning a bit so she could watch her. Heather was now using the cloth to wipe away any blood before grabbing a bottle. But she paused, and turned to Toothless instead, who by now was once more by Astrid's side, his tail still clinging to the girl's legs for comfort.

"Toothless...?" Heather backed up a bit, looking at Hiccup's torso before looking back at Toothless. The dragon nodded and moved closer, his tongue once more licking the wounds carefully and gently.

Once he had covered Hiccup in a light coat of saliva, Heather pulled out the bandages. She hesitated before signing and meeting Astrid's gaze. "You'll have to help him sit up." She stated.

Astrid nodded and slid her arm under Hiccup's shoulder blades before pulling him into a sitting position, his head lolling slightly against her shoulder. He remained asleep, although he did let out a low murmur and a moan.

Heather was fast, and it wasn't two minutes later that she had Hiccup completely bandaged in a tight cocoon around his torso. Heather then pulled his shirt off the rest of the way, saying that it would be easier if he remained shirtless for the time being. Astrid carefully lowered him back against the bed, stuffing a few more pillows here and there to keep him more comfortable before pulling a blanket up over his shoulders

Fishlegs arrived just on time, tripping up the stairs in his hurry with the mug of medicine. "Finished!" He announced with a gasp. "I added a bit more Mud Weed, just to help him sleep you know." He added, earning a nod from Heather.

Astrid took the cup and once again helped Hiccup sit up a bit, and he murmured some more although he didn't open his eyes.

She took a deep breath, praying that this time he'd be able to keep the stuff down. "Hiccup?" She asked quietly. "You have to drink this, Hiccup."

Hiccup opened his eyes, peering up at her blearily before noticing the cup she held in her hand. He shook his head with a little whimper of protest.

"It'll help." Astrid explained, placing the rim of the mug against his lips. "Just a little bit, alright?"

Hiccup's eyes, although dazed and unfocused, stared right into hers, silently begging her _No_.

But then he sighed and closed his eyes opening his mouth and allowing her to tilt the cup. It took a moment for him to swallow, but after the first sip the rest was gone soon enough, and Astrid was happy to set aside an empty mug.

"Alright…" She whispered, settling Hiccup back against the bed. "Try to keep that down, okay?"

He nodded before whispering hoarsely, "I-is T-t-tooth…"

At the slight murmur of his name, Toothless's head perked up and he crooned with joy. He nudged Hiccup's head before giving a few small licks against his cheek, making the wounded boy smile and lift a weak hand, rubbing the dragon's scaly head.

"H-hey… bud…" Hiccup spoke quietly. "You-you get out mkay?" His words began to slur towards the end of his sentence, although Toothless seemed to have no trouble understanding him.

The dragon licked Hiccup's cheek again before crooning, Astrid feeling the vibration of his body through the tail wrapped around her legs. She smiled and rubbed Toothless back, her eyes catching sight of the red cut along his back. Heather seemed to notice it too, for she picked up a roll of bandages and the bucket, bending down and wiping at the wound. Toothless didn't seem to notice, for he was grinning gummily down at his rider, his eyes sparkling with joy.

Hiccup gave Toothless a few more feeble pats before turning his attention back on Astrid, his gaze bleary even though he seemed aware. "A-Astrid…" He mumbled. She moved closer, scooting up beside Toothless until her side was pressed against his neck. She sat on the edge of the bed, grabbing Hiccup's hand and once more rubbing her thumb over his skin.

But Hiccup persisted, his eyes blinking and she knew he was fighting sleep. "C-could you… I-…" He stuttered. "Dad..?"

Astrid nodded, "He's on his way. Snotlout sent out a Terror Mail, so he should be here within the next day."

Hiccup sighed and sank a bit more into the pillow, his eyes sliding closed and his breath evening out. "Hm… thanks…"

Astrid smiled at him as he dropped off to sleep, and looking down she saw that Heather was still busy caring for Toothless, so she took the liberty to lean down and press a kiss against Hiccup's warm forehead. She could've sworn she saw a smile on his face when she pulled away.

…

Hiccup woke up slowly, noticing how the room was dimly lit and how there were low murmurs playing in the background. He tried to move, tried to somehow wake himself out of this dream-like state, but with the slightest movement came startling pain.

Vibrating sounded close to his ear, and he instantly knew it was Toothless. He blinked his eyes several times, trying to clear his bleary vision before attempting to move again.

A large heavy hand landed on his shoulder, stilling any movement he attempted to make. He heard a voice that somewhere in the back of his mind he recognized, but with how staticky everything was it was hard to pin point exactly who it was speaking.

Finally, his ears tuned in to the voices. "Easy, lad, easy…" Came the deep voice, and Hiccup couldn't help but relax. Good, his Dad was here. His Dad was what he wanted… him and Toothless. And Astrid. All three of them.

A rather embarrassing thought came to mind, of him cuddling with all three of them. Like, he really _really_ wanted to curl up against Toothless side with Astrid's head against his shoulder, or her in his lap, and his Dad giving him a hug. All at once. It sounded so heavenly that Hiccup was almost tempted to ask…

"You there?" Came another voice, and Hiccup blinked to try and bring his vision into focus. Thankfully, it did, and the first faces he saw were Astrid, his Dad, and Toothless. There were also the others all crowded at the end of his bed, Snotlout being the one who had spoken.

"Ha, he's awake!" Tuffnut shouted, fist pumping into the air. "To Loki, Hiccup you had us worried!"

Stoick chuckled softly before pushing Hiccup's hair out of his face, and on any other day Hiccup would've been beyond embarrassed by the gesture, but today that was just what he wanted. He leaned into the touch, not caring in the least if he was acting like a wuss or a baby. In truth, he wanted to be babied for a few minutes.

Stoick sighed and smiled again. "Fever's gone, good. Looks like the infection died down."

Gothi suddenly appeared out of _nowhere_ , tapping her stick against the ground as she looked Hiccup's face over before nodding and walking away without a word.

"She's so awkward." Snotlout whispered to Tuff.

"How do you feel, Hiccup?" Astrid asked, leaning a bit closer. Toothless followed suit, his head touching Hiccup's as he let out a huff of breath.

Hiccup coughed slightly, wincing as that motion pulled at his wounds. But he was able to find his voice before anyone could say anything. "B-better… so tired though."

"Well that's to be expected." Stoick stated. "You lost a lot of blood, not to mention you didn't get fed for an entire day. You're bound be a bit weak and on the sickly side."

Hiccup rolled his eyes, "Thanks, Dad…" He murmured sarcastically. "How long was I out?"

"Um…" Astrid began counting off one hand, looking off into the distance as she figured. "About twenty-four hours." She replied.

Hiccup tried to sit up, but Stoick's hand held him down. "Twenty-four hours!?" He shouted, instantly regretting it when pain crawled up his chest. He fell back against the pillows with a gasp, wishing that he hadn't bothered to move.

"See? You're not in any condition to be moving, Hiccup." Stoick stated firmly. "Bed for you for the next three days- at least."

"Grr…" Hiccup moaned, closing his eyes. "Sorry, bud." He patted Toothless's head. "Guess that means no flying."

"Well, Toothless needs a bit of healing time, too." Astrid said, waving a hand towards the dragon's tail. "He has a good-sized cut on his tail. Nothing serious!" She hurried to reassure when Hiccup gave her a frantic look. "But he'll be grounded for the next few days for sure."

"Oh, bud." Hiccup murmured, rubbing Toothless's head sadly. "I'm so sorry…"

The dragon just smiled gummily again before giving Hiccup's face a big lick, earning many _yew's_ and _yuck's_ from those gathered.

"All right." Stoick said with a clap of his hands. "Everyone, out. Hiccup needs his rest, and if I know him, he'll be trying to get up in the next two days so he's going to need all the healing time he can get."

The others nodded and said their farewells before leaving, Astrid and Stoick remaining behind along with Toothless. Stoick grabbed a chair and sat, while Astrid sat on the edge of the bed, playing with the hem of her skirt while looking about awkwardly.

Hiccup was content to just relax and enjoy the silence, glad to be awake but not having to do anything either. He had never been one to take it easy, but this injury really forced him to. He wasn't even sure if he could write with the cut on his hand.

After fifteen minutes Stoick stood up, his chair scraping against the floor. "I'd best go out and have a talk with the others, sort of tell them what to do."

Hiccup watched his father leave, feeling rather down that he was. But then he looked back at Astrid, and knew that he wasn't alone and still had her company.

Again, he thought of his cuddly wish and he blushed at the thought of Astrid cuddling him, _how embarrassing!_

But gods, he really _really_ wanted to be hugged and cuddled right now… his Dad had always said Hiccup tended to be clingy when he was sick or injured, and normally Stoick or Toothless would be there to cuddle Hiccup, even when he'd been seventeen. He had come down sick with a flu, and in his misery, had come down in the middle of the night to crawl into bed with his father. He would alternate between Toothless or his Dad, it really depended on his mood.

And for the first time, he really wanted to cuddle against Astrid's lap and let her run her fingers through his hair like she did whenever he was sick. To let her hug him and baby him, and just let him cuddle up against her and drift off to sleep…

Toothless crooned and moved aside, turning about and accidently whacking Astrid in the shoulder. She was knocked off balance and fell against the bed, her head knocking against the headboard.

"Oof! Toothless!" She scolded teasingly. The dragon looked back and smiled- almost sneakily- before curling up on the floor, his head on his paws as he looked up at them innocently.

Hiccup blinked again, feeling rather drowsy and not fully focused. He looked over at Astrid, who was half-lying half-sitting on the bed, and without giving it a second thought he scooched closer and wrapped his arms around her stomach, his head resting against her thigh.

Astrid went stiff under his hold, but the next instant she relaxed and moved closer, sitting up a bit straighter and pulling his head into her lap. She began combing her fingers through his hair again, earning a contented sigh from Hiccup.

"Mhm… you're cozy." Hiccup murmured sleepily.

Astrid's reply came out in a little huff of laughter. "I didn't know you could be so clingy…"

Hiccup closed his eyes and listened to the sound of her breathing, her soft light breaths. He tried to match his breaths to hers, although somehow his always came a bit quicker.

Soon, by the light _thum_ of Toothless's snoring and the light touch of Astrid's fingers against his scalp, Hiccup drifted off to a peaceful sleep.

 **Thanks for all the kind reviews on the last chapter, as well as the follows! I woke up this morning and seeing my email full just made my day 3**

 **Thanks again, love you all! Stay awesome! See ya' in the next chapter (I think I'll try and do some shoutouts next one ;D) -**


	33. Blizzards and Hiccups

**Title: Blizzards and Hiccup's**

 **Requested by: AnaWinchester-Universe67**

 **Summary: A blizzard hits the Edge hard, and everyone has decided it's safer to stick together in the clubhouse. But the first cold weather of the season always comes hard for Hiccup, and the others didn't know about it until the prize is already being paid.**

 **Genre: Friendship, Hurt/Comfort**

 **Rating: K**

 **Time-Line: Post RTTE Season 4**

 **A/N: Haha so many of these stories are Hiccup!Whumps… Heck, I'm alright with that though! XD**

* * *

"I-i-i-i-i-t-t's t-t-to c-c-col-l-ld…" Ruffnut chattered, staggering into the clubhouse while bundled in an oversized bear coat.

Tuffnut dashed in past her, he too bundled in a matching coat. In his arms he held a blanketed bundle, which he dropped by the fire pit table. "Here you go, Chicken. Nice and warm!"

Snotlout ran in, slamming the door shut behind him. "WHY IS IT SO COOOLLLDDD!?" He howled, rubbing his arms as he made his way to the fire pit. "Morning, Astrid." He greeted grumpily on his way.

"Hey." She replied, standing up from her huddled place on her chair. "I was smart and slept here last night with Stormfly."

"Where is she now?" Snotlout asked, glancing about hopefully.

"Back at the stables. She was starting to get antsy… and well…" She gestured towards a small stain on the floor. "I thought we'd prefer a bit colder environment to living in dragon dung."

"I'm not so sure." Tuffnut muttered, his teeth chattering. "I'd rather sleep in nice warm dragon dung then a cold wooden floor any day."

Snotlout pretended to gag behind them, making a disgusted face.

The door slid open again, and in stumbled the two forms of Hiccup and Fishlegs. Everyone groaned when they realized it was snowing hard, and both teens were covered in a thin sheet of white.

"Guys." Hiccup announced, stumbling further inside, his arms wrapped around himself as he tried to contain body heat. "I-I-I think it wo-would be b-best if y-you all ca-came to my h-hut… The forge has b-been l-lit all n-night so it-it's nice and-and t-toasty…"

Snotlout barreled past him, nearly knocking the one-legged Viking over in the process. Ruff followed quickly, none of them saying anything as they disappeared out in the storm. Tuff grabbed his chicken, gave a little salute then hurried to follow the others.

Hiccup shivered and turned to Astrid, giving a little smile. "C-c-come on… it-it's fre-freezing here…"

She laughed and wrapped her arm around his, then Hiccup cranked the door open and they ducked out the door. She gave a small gasp when the frigid air hit her full blast and she instinctively shut her eyes against the stinging wind and sleet. She felt herself stumble and forced herself to open her eyes so she didn't collapse in the snow.

It seemed like it took years to make the short trip to Hiccup's hut. When they finally arrived, she did not hesitate to crank the door open and hurry inside, dragging Hiccup along with her.

There were already blankets sprawled about the place, while the other riders huddled in chairs around the fire while sipping at steaming cups of hot cocoa. Fishlegs was scuttling about looking quite happy to be the waiter, although when Snotlout shouted for his fifth refill he looked rather irritated, replying with the answer that he did not wish to deal with a puking Snotlout all day.

Astrid instantly felt the warmth seep into her skin and she sighed in relief. The room really was toasty, most likely the warmest place on the Edge at the moment. She mentally slapped herself for not coming here first, she should've known Hiccup would light the forge on such a chilly evening.

"Here you go, Astrid." Fishlegs said with a flourish, handing her a cup of hot chocolate. "Want some, Hiccup?"

"Naw… I'm good."

Astrid smiled as she grabbed a blanket and sat on a bench near the fire. She turned to Hiccup, smiling and patting the space beside her and urging him to join her.

As soon as he settled down she moved closer, resting her head against his shoulder while he wrapped an arm around her shoulder, letting it rest against the back of the bench. She leaned back and sighed with contentment, realizing she'd have no problem what so ever spending the entire day like this.

"Eww, Hiccstrid's at it again." Tuffnut whined, faking a gagging motion into his fist.

Ruffnut looked rather dreamy eyed as she stared at the two lovers, giving a happy smile when Hiccup let his head rest against Astrid's hair. "Hey, I think it's sweet." The girl said with a tilt of her head and a sigh, the smile never leaving her face.

Astrid chose to ignore the others, instead relishing in Hiccup's warm presence and the nice smell of chocolate wafting from the cup. She stared at the flames hazily, feeling dazed and tired from the restless night of fitful sleep. It had been much too cold of her to rest comfortably, but here it was almost overly warm- but not quite. It was just right, and made perfect by Hiccup's arm wrapped around her and his head leaning against hers…

Suddenly, out of the blue, she felt him tense up beside her. His arm around her stiffened, and his hand fell of her arm and instead clenched into a fist.

"Something wrong?" She asked, feeling alarm claw at her stomach. She pulled back when he didn't respond, and she tilted her head so she could look up into his face. "Hiccup..?

He exhaled shakily before nodding, his hand in his lap relaxing and he began to breathe again- not at all steady and rather heavily but breathing none the less.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine." He reassured with a slight nod of his head. Astrid stared at him for a moment longer before settling back into his arm, her head once again falling to rest on his shoulder.

"-So I took hold of the guy's arm, and said "Your end or the Chickens!?" BWAHAHA!" Tuffnut chortled, the others joining in the laughter. Astrid smiled softly, absently moving closer to Hiccup- if that was even possible. Much closer and she'd be curled up in his lap.

The laughter died down until they were nothing but light chuckles, everyone enjoying the heat of the fire and each other's company. Ruffnut sat there tapping her fingers against her chin, till her eyes lit up with an almost evil gleam, her gaze turning towards Hiccup and Astrid,

"Hey, Astrid. I have a dare for you. Wanna take me up on it?"

Astrid smirked back, scooting to sit a bit straighter. "What, you think _I'd_ back off from a dare?"

"So you're in?"

"Yes!"

Ruffnut giggled evilly, waving her hand towards Hiccup. "I dare you to tickle Hiccup."

Astrid froze as she too began to smile, the others hooting and hollering for her to do so. She turned to face her blushing boyfriend, noticing the way his face had paled slightly- from embarrassment or from fear- she wasn't sure. He held up a hand, his other still draped over her shoulder.

"Uh… Astrid…" He said hesitantly. "Please don't… I-"

"DO IT!" Snotlout shouted, waving a fist in the air. Astrid let out a quiet chuckle before setting her cup aside, cracking her knuckles as she prepared to inflict giggling torture.

Hiccup grabbed her hand, his eyes wide and a bright emerald green. She paused, feeling rather panicked at his humorless expression.

"Well, gonna do it or not?" Ruffnut teased, rocking back and forth in her seat while grabbing onto her knees. "Well..?"

Astrid laughed and leaned forward, letting her fingers dig into Hiccup's ribs. She suddenly realized that he wasn't wearing his armor, and for a moment she paused, puzzled as to why he wasn't before giving a shrug and continuing with the tickling.

Hiccup instantly withdrew his arm from around her story and instead tried to defend himself, wrapping his arms about his chest as he rocked back against the bench with a short snort of laughter. Astrid gave another chuckle before withdrawing, clapping her hands together in hopes that that would be enough to satisfy Ruffnut's dare.

"Hey, that was only-like-for a second! You have to tickle him longer than that!"

Astrid looked back at Hiccup, expecting his ready teasing grin and possible sarcastic remark, but instead received… well nothing. No reply, he wasn't even looking at her. Instead he was staring down at his lap, his chest heaving as though he found breathing a difficult task.

"…Hiccup..?" She asked hesitantly, letting a bit of panic touch her heart when he still didn't reply. She rested her hand on his unarmored arm, wondering when the last time it was she'd seen him in nothing but his red shirt and trousers. In fact, she didn't think she'd ever seen him without his armor, only the few times he'd dressed in Defenders of the Wing's clothing. But still he'd had medal plates of armor on, and never just thin cloth. Like now.

"Is something wrong?" She asked, worry making its way up into her brain. Something was _definitely_ wrong. Hiccup would've replied by now, and not only that but he'd been acting weird. Not just quiet- like how he sometimes got when he was deep in thought- but an almost strained quiet.

"Answer me, Haddock." She ordered, although she knew she didn't sound at all demanding. Her voice was too panicky, shaking slightly in her concern.

Hiccup finally lifted his head and stared right at her, his green eyes dazed and unfocused. She grabbed his shoulder when his stance wobbled, worrying her that he might very well topple over and off the bench.

"A-a-astri…" Hiccup whispered weakly before his eyes slide shut and he slumped forward, falling limply into her arms.

"Gods!" Astrid exclaimed in panic, willingly pulling her boyfriend's limp form further into her lap. Everyone turned at her shout of alarm, and they froze in shock at the sight.

"What happened?" Fishlegs asked as he jumped from his seat, rushing over with a worried look on his face.

"He-he just passed out…" Astrid tried to explain, but found herself stumbling with the words. She ran her fingers through Hiccup's thick hair, panicking further when she felt how sweaty he was. "Oh, Hiccup, what's wrong?"

He mumbled something, his eyelids moving slightly hinting that he might be pulling out of unconsciousness. Finally, his eyes opened completely, allowing her to see the gorgeous green color they were.

"Hiccup?" She whispered quietly, letting her fingers trail down his hairline and onto his cheek. He closed his eyes and leaned against her hand, pressing his hot skin against her cool palm. "Please tell me what's wrong…"

"M'leh…" He mumbled, barely opening his mouth as he spoke. "Id's ine…"

"Hush…" she soothed gently, still not certain what was bothering him. "Your… your what? What hurts?"

"M'leg…" He said a bit clearer, although it was still slurred and hard to make out. By Fishleg's clearly puzzled expression it was clear he didn't understand, although Astrid had learned from the past and was quite fluent in "Hiccup mumbles".

So, she instantly caught onto the fact that Hiccup's leg was clearly the object of his pain.

She adjusted her position so Hiccup's head was lying in her lap, his arms reaching out to wrap around her waist tightly while he buried his face in her stomach. She didn't mind his clinginess however, for she knew that he was doing it for comfort, and if he needed that extra bit of reassurance, she was more than happy to give it.

She noticed Hiccup's bad leg was leaning against his good one, his prosthetic not even touching the floor. She gently pulled the string away, letting it drop to the floor as she carefully slid the prosthetic off Hiccup's leg. He whimpered against her shirt, his arms tightening their hold.

"Shh…" she soothed with a rub to his back, hoping to calm him somewhat. Fishlegs was hovering nearby, although he didn't offer any help seeing as how Astrid had things fairly under control.

Astrid glanced up at the others, who by now had resumed their talk, although it was a bit quieter and they kept throwing concerned glances her way. She offered a reassuring smile before continuing with her work, hoping that what she was doing was helping at least a little bit.

"Alright, Hiccup." She whispered quietly. "Where… why does it hurt?"

Hiccup's breathing was growing heavier, and his entire body was shaking and shivering. Astrid was beginning to fear he was having a stroke or going into some sort of shock, for he wasn't responding and instead just clung to her all the more.

"Hiccup, please!" She shouted in alarm and panic when he let out a shriek. Everyone's attention was once more directed towards the pair, Snotlout looking shocked while the twins looked wide eyed and confused.

Astrid chose to ignore them, instead pulling Hiccup closer and rocking back and forth in a calming motion.

"Hiccup, calm down, Hiccup…" She said over and over again, having to speak loudly in order to be heard over Hiccup's heavy breathing. She disentangled herself from his clingy embrace, instead moving closer to him and pulling his torso and head against her chest, letting him rest against shoulder and allowing his arms to wrap around her again.

"Shh… just breathe… breathe Hiccup…" Astrid continued rocking back and forth, altering between rubbing Hiccup's back and arm to running her fingers through his hair, hoping to coax and answer from the hurting boy. "Please… tell me what's wrong…"

Hiccup opened his mouth slightly and gasped, his breath faltering a bit before he resumed with heavy and labored huffs. "It's… just…" He murmured, taking a deep breath between each word. "The cold… leg…"

"Astrid…" Fishlegs whispered, his insistent voice catching her attention. She looked up at him, waiting for him to continue. "The cold." He gestured towards the window where snow and ice swirled as the blizzard raged on. "Astrid, amputees… when the first cold hits… it normally comes _hard,_ and it brings on phantom pains sometimes... especially when it's not that old of a wound."

Astrid drew her brows together in worry, having been there before when Hiccup had a phantom pain. But she… she never knew that that it happened during the first cold…

"What's wrong?" Ruffnut asked timidly, she, Snotlout and Tuffnut coming to stand behind Fishlegs. They were all staring at Hiccup's shaking and whimpering form, each of them looking concerned.

"Phantom pain." Astrid replied, redirecting her gaze to Hiccup's face. His eyes were now closed, his mouth partially open as he took in small gasps of air. "Oh Hiccup…" she whispered, resting her hand against his head and drawing it closer to her shoulder before pressing her face against his hair.

"What can we do?" Snotlout asked, actually sounding like he truly wanted to help-for once. "What do you do to help phantom pains?"

"There's really nothing…" Fishlegs said while rubbing his hand against his head. "Nothing, nothing _NOTHING_! We're nothing but useless logs sitting her watching Hiccup suffer from a pain that only he has ever experienced!"

Hiccup gasped as he tried to answer, but Astrid quickly hushed him, sending Fishlegs a glare before continuing her rocking motion, her hand making small circles against Hiccup's back. "Guys, what's best right now is to keep him warm and hydrated. Also, some ice would be good for his leg as well…"

Tuffnut scuttled off, presumably to gather the ice. Fishlegs turned and grabbed two blankets, draping them over Hiccup's form before wrapping another around Astrid, covering them both in a warm cocoon of fabric. Hiccup let out another muffled cry of pain, his body shifted as he gave a small thrash.

"Hush it's alright, we're right here for you, Hiccup." Astrid said calmly, trying to keep her voice from shaking to let him know that he was indeed alright-or would be at any rate- and that he wasn't alone. That he didn't have to go through this by himself.

"Astrid…" he whimpered, his face moving closer to her neck until his entire head was buried against it. "A-astrid…"

"I'm here, right here." She rocked a bit harder, hoping that the fast movement would help Hiccup realize she was the one holding and comforting him.

Hiccup gave another gasp, making Astrid' skin tingle as she felt his lips graze her neck. "Astrid… it hurts…" He was cut short with another harsh gasp for breath. "A-a-asst!"

"Gods, Hiccup- Fishlegs!" She called out, looking up at him frantically. "Help me! What- what do we _do!?_ "

Fishlegs was beyond pale, and he was shaking almost as much as Hiccup. Tuffnut had returned, and he hurried to shove the ice into Fishleg's unsuspecting hands, then turned and dashed over to where Ruffnut was cuddling chicken, her back against the wall and hiding under a blanket, only her eyes visible. Tuffnut dove under the blanket beside his sister, disappearing from sight.

Snotlout was just sitting and rocking back and forth as he rambled on and on about nothing in particular, it was obvious he was just trying to distract himself from what was going on.

Hiccup let out another muffled scream, his face pressing against Astrid's neck. She tried to soothe him as best as possible, but no amount of whispering and rocking seemed to calm his nerves. Finally, she decided it would be best if she was off the uncomfortable wood bench, so she asked Fishlegs to arrange some blankets on the fireplace where it would be warmest and most comfortable for Hiccup to rest.

As soon as Fishlegs was done, Astrid stood up and carefully carried/dragged Hiccup to the makeshift bed, letting herself slide to the floor to sit on top of it. Hiccup's eyes were screwed shut and his mouth was still slightly agape as he continued wheeze and cough.

"Shhh…" Astrid whispered repeatedly, especially when Hiccup whimpered pitifully or murmured words of pain. "It's all right, I've got you."

Fishlegs helped her lay Hiccup down on his back, then she grabbed two thick blankets and tossed them over his shaking body. He was still clinging to her waste, his head now resting on her legs instead of her shoulder.

"Hiccup…" she said softly, trying to pull him away. He whimpered and moved ab it closer.

"P-p-please…" he murmured. "D-don't… As-s-strid…"

"I'm not going anywhere." She reassured gently, her gaze going up to Fishlegs before he nodded and stepped away towards Snotlout and the twins. She felt Hiccup tighten his hold on her, and she sighed before moving to lean against the stone of the forge fire pit, pushing Hiccup's arms away and gentle pushing the pillow out of the way, pulling his head into her lap instead. He rolled onto his side so he was now facing her instead of the room, and she smiled when she saw his face relax slightly and his arm come up to rest against her hand which was pressed lightly against his cheek.

"Ast…" Hiccup slurred. "Please…"

"I'm staying here, don't worry. I'll sit right here until you're all right, okay?" She rubbed her thumb against his pale skin, and he let out a sigh of contentment. "Go to sleep, Hiccup."

He didn't reply, but his body did stop shaking and instead he relaxed against her, his other arm going up to wrap loosely around her waist and was also cushioning his head slightly. Several minutes passed, and he didn't stir. He did let out an occasional whimper of pain or a whine, but he never moved or shifted positions.

"Is he doing better now?" Snotlout asked cautiously and quietly as he crawled over. He stared at his cousin's pale face, shaking his head at the sight. "He looks awful."

"I know… but he should feel a bit better when he wakes up." Astrid leaned back against the uncomfortable stone, trying to find a comfortable position.

"Here." Snotlout grabbed a blanket and a pillow, stuffing it behind her back and head. "That help?"

"Thanks, Snotlout." She said quietly, letting her own eyes slide shut. "Is… you guys mind if I take a little nap? I didn't get a lot of sleep last night."

Snotlout nodded his head emphatically, waving his hand towards nothing at all in his attempts to gesture a consent. "Yeah, yeah! That's totally fine. We'll kinda clean up I guess… and find something to eat."

"He's fine now." Astrid reassured, grabbing Snotlout's arm before he could walk off. "So, you guys can relax. Have some fun… Hiccup would want you to."

Snotlout nodded and smiled. "We'll try. Let us know if he wakes up, okay?"

"Yes."

Snotlout left to join the others, and Astrid listened with closed eyes to their soft murmuring. They sounded strained at first, but then after Snotlout's voice mumbled for a few seconds, the voices turned to happy and care free once more. She smiled and absently ran a hand through Hiccup's soft hair, earning a low moan from the hurting boy.

"Shh…" She whispered, not bothering to open her eyes. It was like her lids were made of cement, and opening them felt nearly impossible…

She drifted off to a peaceful sleep, her hands still tangled in Hiccup's hair where his head rested on her lap. Both slept calmly, each reassured by the presence of the other.

* * *

 **Okay, so I know I said I'd do shotouts this chapter… but I'm too tired to do it at the moment (So sorry!)**

 **But here is a big THANK YOU to all of you who have followed and reviewed! Thank you to all who've followed:**

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 **Till the next chapter/story!**


	34. My Life's Color

**Title: My Life's Color**

 **Requested by: FanWriter02 (haha me :P)**

 **Summary: It had been two years. Two years since that fateful day. The day Astrid received that terrible note. Two years… and she was alone.**

 **Genre: Hurt/Comfort**

 **Rating: K**

 **A/N:…SORRY. *cough* *whispers* _not sorry_... XD**

* * *

Astrid walked slowly, the grass barely making a sound beneath her feet, the air quiet, a soft breeze grabbing at her hair. She didn't care about any of this though, she didn't even pay attention… didn't look about at the pretty summer scenery.

Her heart and mind were in another place. Another time.

She coughed quietly into the soft air, finding that the need to weep was gone. Last year on this day… she'd been empty. An empty shell. Nothing. A waist… She had hardly spoken…

The cliff came into view. The same cliff she'd stood on not two years ago… at this same time. Just as the sun was about to set.

Only this time… she was just watching the cold ocean…

And no pyre floating away…

She let herself slowly lower to the ground, sitting back and pulling her knees against her chest, her face burying against them so only her eyes were above them. She stared out at the line where sky met sea, but… no matter what, she could no longer cry.

She was empty. Sucked dry. She felt hollow, like someone had drained her of her insides and left her nothing but an empty shell.

She dazed off again, and the flashback came to her mind unbidden.

 _Astrid stood on this same cliff, staring out at the pyre that was slowly floating away. Although it was empty, them having never found his body, many of his possessions were laid on the table. His knife, his old cloths, his blacksmiths robe… but Astrid had refused to give up his helmet or one of his shirts._

 _She knew she'd need those if she ever wanted to get any sleep. She had wrapped her pillow in his shirt, so that the smell of him that lingered on them might lull her to sleep…_

 _And Valka had refused to give up his helmet. The one he'd worn when he was younger, the one that matched Stoick's. She absolutely refused to give up the little bit of his youth that she remembered. And everyone respected that._

 _In fact, Gobber had to force people to back off, to actually let Hiccup's belongings remain on the ship as tradition called for. Everyone wanted a piece of him to remember. A piece of one of their greatest chief's that Berk had ever had._

 _No one wanted to give him up._

 _Astrid's shoulders shook as she glanced down at the black scale held in her palm. The only thing remaining to remind her of Toothless, and of the loyal bond between him and his rider. She looked up, already knowing that Toothless's old saddles had been placed on the pyre as well._

 _They were sending off both Rider and Dragon._

 _It only seemed right. Hiccup and Toothless… they were like brothers._

 _"Seems fitting they died together…" came the woeful thought, making Astrid choke on her tears. Why couldn't she have gone too? Why did Hiccup go, and leave her?_

 _What… what about…_

 _"There will always be a Hiccup and Astrid."_

 _She choked again, refusing to cry. If she did she'd never be able to aim, and… and send off…_

 _Gobber rested a hand on her shoulder, and she looked up at him slowly. There were tears in his eyes, and he wasn't trying to hide them at all, they came streaking down, his eyes empty and bare._

 _"D-do… would you wish..?" He asked, knowing how much it meant to her, and how much…_

 _But it felt wrong. Valka should, or even Gobber…_

 _And yet she found herself nodding, Gobber taking a small step back in respect. Astrid glanced over her shoulder at Valka, who gave a nod of her head and a small tear streaked smile._

 _Astrid took in a shuddering breath, feeling like her heart was being torn in two as she did so._

 _THIS WASN'T SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN._

 _He was supposed to… he was supposed to be here. They were going to wed. Ha-have a family… grow old together._

 _He had promised._

 _"I'll come back." He'd whispered in her ear. "I'm never leaving you. I promise."_

 _Astrid blinked, a tear falling and dribbling off her chin and onto her hands, which now held a bow and ready arrow._

 _She took a deep breath, then started shakily. "M-may the Valkayries…" she paused, trying to gather her bearings._

 _No, please… don't be gone…_

 _"Ma-may the Valkaries welcome you." She clutched the bow, trying to gather some strength from it. "And lead you through Odin's gr-great battle field." She looked up at the pyre that was now floating some distance away…now beyond towing back._

 _He's going… She thought sorrowfully, but forced herself to continue._

 _"May they sing your name with love and fury!" She said loudly, feeling the pain pulse through her, the ache of her heart throbbing with every pulse of her veins. She felt the need to scream now. Scream to the world that her Hiccup was gone._

 _"So we may hear it rise from the depths of Valhalla, and know you've taken your rightful place… at the table of kings…" She let her voice drop towards the end, the adrenaline wearing off, leaving her wide eyed and shocked._

 _Hiccup was gone…_

 _"For a great man has fallen." She ducked her head, her voice coming unbelievably steady, as though she were telling herself the opposite of what she was truly saying._

 _"A warrior…. A chieftan… a son…a friend… a…" She paused, letting her shoulders shake and the tears pool in her eyes. "A…" she sobbed, "My Hiccup…" she whispered hoarsely, finding her knees go weak and wishing she could fall in the dirt, wishing to collapse._

 _Jump into the water and go after him. Stop this all from happening._

 _She sobbed again, quieter this time, as she lowered the tip of her arrow, letting it touch the burning ember at her feet. Instantly the oil coated arrow head lit ablaze, and she paused yet again before lifting the bow._

 _She aimed, the tears coursing down her cheeks, for she knew, that when she unleashed this arrow…_

 _Her Hiccup was gone for good._

 _Before she could stop herself, the string released and the arrow flew, and her arrow, followed by many others, streamed through the air and landed with resounding sizzles and thuds against the wood of the pyre._

 _She stared at the burning ship, the tears coming and coming, and she didn't fight them._

 _Hiccup was gone…_

 _…forever…._

 _"I love you." She whispered, hoping the wind would carry her words to the fallen warrior. To the young Chief who'd died while trying to peacefully protect his village._

 _Astrid blinked, then slid to the ground onto her knees, hunching over and letting the cries and screams of anguish finally escape. She leaned heavily against the nearby bolder, letting all her feelings and emotions pour out in one big torrent, her heartbroken sobs and cries filling the air._

 _After hours- long after the others had left the cliffside- she remained. She never wanted to leave. This was the closest she was too Hiccup, to his pyre. The closer to the ocean, the closer she was too him._

 _Stormfly came, but Astrid ignored her. The poor distressed dragon flew off back towards the village, Valka following after trying- and failing- to reassure the anguished girl._

 _After hours of sobbing and screaming in grief, Astrid's eyes grew dry. She sobbed quietly, tears absent, her cheeks stinging, leaving her utterly exhausted._

 _"You promised." She whispered. "You promised you'd come back. You said there'd always be a Hiccup and Astrid."_

 _She looked back at the ocean above her folded arms, and found herself whispering the few simple words._

" _Why did you have to leave me…?"_

Astrid gasped, and lowered her head, blocking her view of the calm ocean. It was too calm, didn't it understand? Today the wind should be howling its grief, the skies should be crying and pouring rain, the clouds should be grey…

Nothing deserved this color, this happiness.

Nothing was happy without him there to brighten the world.

"Why!?" she screamed, falling back against the boulder. "Why did you leave!?"

She cried quietly for several moments, all thoughts and memories of him rushing through her brain and making her emotions an even worse and muddled puddle of grief.

Distantly, she heard a horn blow for the seventh time that hour, signaling an approaching tribe or ship. But she ignored it. Nothing mattered anymore. It was most likely the Berserkers…

A screech filled the air, causing Astrid's eyes shot open, and her breath hitched.

 _I'm dead._ She thought wildly. She scrambled to her feet, looking about frantically in hopes of seeing that familiar dragon-

And where that dragon was, so would Hiccup be…

She glanced about a bit more, noticing how everything seemed the same, felt the same, looked the same-

Then, she saw it.

The blur of black over the terrain below, on the path that led to this cliff. She froze in shock and joy, finding her mouth opening slightly, although no sounds escaped.

 _Is… is…_

"Astrid!"

"HICCUP!" she shrieked, finally finding her legs worked. She ran fast- faster then she'd ran in the last two years. And given to the lack of use, her legs were weak, and she found herself stumbling and faltering at the pace she set, but that didn't make her slow.

 _Hiccup!_

Toothless skidded to a stop, the man on his back vaulting off and running the last few paces to her. She laughed when she felt his strong arms wrap about her body, felt his lips against hers, his lips against her hair, his hands hanging onto her desperately as she did much the same to him.

"Hi-hiccup." She gasped, laughing and smiling at every turn. "Gods, Hiccup…"

"I thought-" Hiccup wheezed. "I thought- we'd never see each other again."

She laughed shakily, the two falling silent as they just hugged and kissed each other, not one loosening their hold on the other. Astrid grabbed onto his familiar leather desperately, fearing that if she let go he'd disappear again.

"Am…" she paused, her head going to rest on his shoulder. "Am… am I finally dead?"

Hiccup stiffened, then laughed quietly. "No, no Astrid you're not dead. Why do you think that?"

"Because you're here."

"Well… I never died..." Hiccup said, slightly awkwardly. "Just wounded."

"But, they said-" she pulled away slightly, turning her head to bury it into his neck, but paused, her eyes widening when she noticed the pale pink scar that peaked out above the leather collar of his armor.

"Hiccup-"

"Hush." Hiccup pulled her close again, rocking back and forth slowly. "I just want you, now. I'll explain it all later."

She clung to him, more than willing to do as he told her to.

She just wanted him. She wanted _HIM._

 _Forever._

"Don't leave me." She whispered.

"I won't. Not ever again." He said, his voice holding an unspoken promise. "Never, ever again. I'm staying right here."

She sighed and snuggled closer, the sun choosing that moment to duck behind the horizon, surrounding them in a shadowy light and dark shadows. But even with the dimming light, the forest didn't seem dark… it seemed alive once more. Green, flowered, and bright, much like it had been those years ago when Astrid had chased Hiccup through the woods, where she'd first seen Toothless, and where she'd first seen Hiccup as he truly was.

She hugged him harder, finding herself smiling nonstop- she was positive nothing could make her feel grieved again.

The world was a canvas of color again.

 **This is Cheesy!**

 **Ridiculous!**

 _ **DRAMATIC!**_

 **Well… *cough* *cough*… I** _ **AM**_ **known for being dramatic *cough* *cough***

 **Ahem, anyways, I hope you enjoyed this, did you get the feels? I TRIED to get a tear from you all… but this just seemed rather fakey… so I'm not sure… *shrug***

 **AND I'M A SUCKER FOR HAPPY ENDINGS. After "IF I DIE YOUNG"…. I just couldn't bring myself to write another death!fic.**

 **So… HAPPY DANCE FOR YOU!**

 **(And yes,** _ **I**_ **requested this. It's been a long time since I've written something I wanted to write, so this was a really nice fun thing for me to write. ;D)**

 **I'm exhausted, so off to bed I go…**

 **Tootles!**


	35. A Little Scratch

**Title: A Little Scratch**

 **Requested by: katurdi**

 **Summary: "Quit your whining! I bet it's barely even a scratch." Astrid scolded with a little smile. Hiccup whined again, giving her arm a light-hearted tap.**

 **Genre: Friendship, Romance**

 **Rating: K+**

 **Time-line: RTTE season 5**

* * *

Hiccup yelped in alarm, stepping back from the forge before gripping his good leg painfully. Sure, the poker just had to touch his good leg- his _ONLY_ leg. Just his luck.

He hobbled over to a bench in the corner of his hut, plopping down into it before grabbing his pants leg and hoisting them up to his knee, glaring at the bright red gash below his knee cap. It was already oozing red- almost purple- gunk. He hissed and pulled his pants leg back down and stuffing the ends into his boot, hoping he'd be alright until he made it to the clubhouse. That's where the supplies were kept... well, where his were anyways. Everyone had their own stash of First Aid necessities in their huts, although he'd been stupid and had forgotten his saddle bag in the clubhouse after their last patrol. He always brought supplies with… and he'd sorta forgotten to bring his back to his hut.

Hiccup gripped the doorframe and glanced outside where the sun was just touching the sky, shining the first rays of sunlight across the land. Hiccup swallowed thickly before hobbling alongside the wall of his hut, wondering where in the archipelago Toothless could be.

But calling his dragon might be a bad idea, Toothless had a tendency of being over protective. Once Hiccup had burnt himself in the Forge back on Berk, and Toothless had gone bonkers, rushing about in a mad haste and had even dashed out and dragged his Dad all the way to the forge. It was quite embarrassing, to be honest. And Hiccup didn't want Toothless to go calling one of the gang. Especially since everyone were still in bed- or so he hoped.

Hiccup paused at the corner of his hut, glancing about hesitantly before limping quickly to the next hut- _uh oh_ … Astrid's hut.

And she just so happened to be the lightest sleeper in the entire archipelago. A fly could buzz twenty feet away from her, and she'd still hear it and be wide awake instantly. She claimed it was reflexes- warrior instincts. No one dared to try any stunts on a sleeping Astrid, for she always had a weapon handy. The twins had merely walked by her once when she fell asleep in her chair at the clubhouse, and Tuffnut had been lucky to get away with his body still connected to his head, although his hair hadn't been as lucky.

Hiccup tiptoed as quietly as he could- but with an injured leg and a noisy squeaky prosthetic made going difficult. He froze in position when he heard something creak from inside, then the telltale thumps of steps against wood.

He groaned when the door opened, rolling his eyes in defeat before letting them settle upon the girl in the doorway. He gave a squeak of surprise and alarm, jumping back slightly at the sight of her.

Gods, since when did Astrid get bedhead!?

"What?" She mumbled, swatting a hand at her hair and failing the meek attempt to calm her slightly frizzy hair. Hiccup inspected her again, smiling when he realized… he blushed furiously at the thought that passed through his brain, realizing that _yes_ , he really did like Astrid and bedhead… All those wispy hairs flying about her face and the lose strands falling out of her messy braid… it was the complete opposite of the normal neat and orderly Astrid.

Thor, she looked beautiful.

He snapped out of his daze when he noticed her lips were moving, most likely asking a question. He shook his head and grunted a jumbled slur, eyeing her in confusion.

She gave him a stern look before gesturing to his lower half, "I said, what did you do to your leg?"

Oh, right. His leg.

"I… I sort of, was working in the Forge…" Hiccup coughed nervously. "Dropped the stoker. And it just so happened to fall onto my leg- could've landed on my arm, seeing as how I have two of those, but nooo." He joked lightly, seeing her face light up with a small smile. "It just had to land on my one and only leg."

Astrid laughed quietly, then stepped forward to grab his arm and help him to hobble forward. "You do seem to attract danger like a magnet."

"The story of my life, right there."

Hiccup grinned when she laughed quietly again, her head flipping to try and toss her wayward bangs and frizzy bed hair out of her face. But her hair just simply flopped back into her eyes, much to her obvious annoyance.

Hiccup paused when he realized she was leading him to her door, puckering his brow in confusion. "Uh, Astrid, the Clubhouse is that way-"

"Yes, but you need _someone_ to clean your leg."

Hiccup swallowed nervously, nodding slightly before continuing on. She shoved the door open, leading him over to her bed before pushing him to sit on the edge. "Sit. There." She ordered, turning and walking over to a chest. She opened the lid and rifled through a few things before pulling out a small sack, nodding in satisfaction at the contents. She then went to the table and grabbed a bucket that rested there before returning to Hiccup's side.

Hiccup shook his head, but didn't stop her when she bent down to help him remove his boot. "Astrid, really, you don't have to-"

"No, I do." She denied, beginning to pull at his trousers. Hiccup yelped when she grazed the wound, drawing a teasing smile from the girl before him.

"Quit your whining! I bet it's barely even a scratch." Astrid scolded with a little smile. Hiccup whined again, giving her arm a light-hearted tap.

She pushed the trousers over his knee, and gave a little hiss at the sight of the wound. "I take that back, definitely not a scratch."

"Thank you." Hiccup added, his hands clenching the edge of the bed frame. "The amount of blood didn't clue you right off?"

"Oh stop, snarky." Astrid grabbed a rag and began wiping away the blood that was now dribbling down his thigh. "Goodness, what did you do, stab it?"

"I dropped it!" Hiccup protested, giving another yelp of pain. "That poker had a mind of its own! It was after my leg!"

Astrid rolled her eyes again, shaking her head slightly in exasperation. "Dork."

Hiccup grinned at her, their eyes meeting for a moment before she reached for the bandages, pulling them out and wrapping them tightly around his wound.

"It could use a stitch or two, but what's it worth if you don't get a scar out of it?" Astrid teased lightly, giving his leg a small swat before scooting away, picking up her supplies before tucking them back into the chest. "Forgot your supplies at the clubhouse again, hm?"

"No." Hiccup replied sheepishly.

Astrid stepped back to the bed, sitting down beside him. The two remained silent and unmoving for a moment or two, before Hiccup dared to slide his hand into hers, their hands intertwining together tightly.

"So… what's the plan for today?"

"Berk." Hiccup replied simply, turning his head so he could look her in the eyes. "Dad wanted us to come back for Gustav's sister's birthday- he apparently wanted me to be there to see the ceremony. Saying that I needed the experience for when I become chief."

She smiled and nodded, "He's still bugging you about that, huh?"

Hiccup nodded and groaned, averting his gaze. "Gobber and his bright ideas- no, just him and his big mouth."

Astrid laughed quietly, her hand tightening around his. Hiccup glanced down at their fingers, a smile slowly starting to spread across his lips before he looked back up at her, a smile on her lips as well.

He suddenly found himself leaning slightly- quite accidently really. He just… got lost in her eyes to the point of where he was absently leaning closer, not even realizing he was doing so. But Astrid was not lost to the slow movement, for she also tilted her head slightly, her eyes flickering shut just as their lips met.

Hiccup closed his eyes and pressed closer, the kiss long and sweet, Hiccup groaning slightly in his absolute blitz.

How had he been so lucky as to have Astrid as his girlfriend?

Astrid pulled away and laughed, her free hand coming up to cup his chin. "You're cute."

Bell's ran in Hiccup's brain as fireworks exploded. _What did she just call me!?_

"C-cute,,?" Hiccup whispered, Astrid's face coloring slightly when she realized what she'd said.

"Uh… I mean-" She scooted away slightly, her hand falling away from his and her other dropping from his jaw. "I mean… uh…"

Hiccup grinned as she continued to stutter… this was the first time he'd ever seen Astrid Hofferson fail in speaking calmly- like she normally did.

It sent butterflies fluttering in his stomach. Only he seemed to be able to make her speech momentarily impaired.

"I-I just…" Astrid continued, flicking at her braid nervously with her fingers. "Y-you've gotten good at that." She finally finished, her eyes looking through her bangs to give him a side long glance.

Hiccup laughed and grabbed her hand again, pulling her closer to kiss her again. "Why thank you, m'lady." He whispered.

 **Just a little bit of fluff for ya. I hope to get a longer one-shot out soon, never fear. ;) Hope you enjoyed this short drabble!**


	36. Disaster Date

**Title: Disaster Date**

 **Requested by: travelerchrisedward**

 **Summary: While on a flight with Toothless, Hiccup and Astrid get caught in a storm. With Hiccup sick, and Astrid wounded, they take cover in a cave until the storm blows over.**

 **Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Friendship**

 **Rating: K+**

 **Time-line: Post RTTE season 4**

* * *

Hiccup gasped heavily as he broke through the ocean's surface, lungs heaving for air and arms scrabbling to find anything to hold onto. His hands only met sea, so that he dunked under the wild water's once more, fear bright in his mind as he panicked. He couldn't swim- his prosthetic made it far too difficult.

He kicked desperately, body and mind silently screaming for the air that he desperately needed, yet couldn't seem to find. Finally, he kicked himself to the surface, where he was able to get a mighty gasp of air.

"Astrid!" He shouted, before he was plunged under again. The storm was raging and sending the waves rolling and crashing- making staying afloat that much harder. And that blasted lightning had been the cause of this entire fiasco in the first place. It was also responsible for the numb achiness in his leg- where the lightning bolt had traveled up Toothless's saddle rigging into the pedals. Effecting both his stump and his leg.

He blinked against the dark waters, the murkiness and dizziness beginning to take hold. He unwillingly relaxed- letting the chilliness sink through his bones until he was certain this was the end. Yet he refused to let that happen. Astrid was still out there somewhere! And Toothless! Neither could survive without him in this current situation- Toothless couldn't fly on his own and Astrid didn't know how to operate the gears.

Just as Hiccup's eyes were about to flutter shut, something grabbed his arm in a tight grip. He let out a surprised shout which just ended in an incoherent gurgle that sent bubbles floating to the surface.

Everything was a haze- until they broke out of the water. Hiccup sucked in air, breathing heavily as his mind and vision began to clear- as did his muddled hearing. The storm was still crashing about them, while someone was screaming his name.

"Hiccup!"

 _Thank gods. It was Astrid._

He opened his eyes and quickly hugged her close, the weakness in his body slowly fading as he let relief fill him- and desperation. They weren't out of this yet, and he knew Toothless couldn't stay afloat in the rough waters for long.

"Astrid, thank Thor-"

"W-w-we have to get… get out of here…"

It was then that he realized how she was shaking violently- to the point of where her armor was rattling. He also realized with a bit of puzzlement how he was in much the same situation, yet… he was so numb he hardly felt the cold.

It hit him hard, and suddenly, he was _freezing_.

"Y-yeah…" He twisted in the saddle, wincing as he pushed his prosthetic into the pedal. Toothless crooned and splashed, taking off and back into the pitching skies that seemed determined to smite the earth.

Astrid clung tightly to his back, face pressed against his shoulder and her body shaking with chills. Hiccup twisted his head about, teeth chattering and head spinning as he stuttered out his concerns.

"A-are you- you okay?"

Astrid didn't reply- which worried him to no end. It was too dark out to decipher what direction was where- and Hiccup realized with sinking resolve that they were lost- and something was obviously wrong with Astrid.

"T-t-t-t…" Hiccup gulped and wondered briefly why it was so… so _hot_ all of a sudden, when it was frigid only moments before. "T-toothless… f-find land, w-will ya, bud?"

Toothless rumbled and shook his head, flying faster as he let out screeches, much like a bat would do, to find the right direction. Finally, after what seemed like a life time, Toothless dove down out of the clouds and rain to what looked to be a small sea stack- too small to be an island but almost too large to be merely a sea stack. Hiccup sighed with relief- either way, it was a place to rest and wait out the storm.

"Astrid?" he tried again, her only response being her arms that tightened their hold. "A-a-are you hurt?"

"J-just-…" her voice was shaky and quiet, and Hiccup knew that he wouldn't be able to hear her if her head hadn't been so close to his ear. "Just land… please…"

Hiccup felt his anxiety take off to knew heights at this answer. Something was _most definitely_ _wrong._

Toothless shrieked again, before quickly switching direction and softly landing on the ground. Hiccup peered through the gloom, happy to see the cave nestled in the side of the stack, inside dry as it was facing opposite of the wind.

Hiccup slid off, dragging Astrid with him. As soon as his feet touched the ground, dizziness nearly overpowered him. He blinked and shook his head, only worsening his condition as he coughed weakly, chest tight and somehow feeling clogged.

He grappled to pull Astrid along, noticing with renewed panic how she was stumbling and limping terribly. She must've somehow hurt her leg in the fall… might've twisted it. But something wasn't right.

Hiccup finally turned and pulled her into his arms, he still weak from his almost drowning and his legs still stinging from the lightning impact. But he somehow managed to stumble into the dryness of the cave, breathing heavily from the exertion of fighting the storm. Toothless bounded in after him, shaking himself at the entrance before pacing even further into the small cave, mouth open and the purple glow emanating throughout the cavern, showing Hiccup that it came to an immediate dead end about twenty feet in.

They walked all the way to the back, Hiccup half dragging half carrying Astrid as they stumbled along. Toothless came to a halt, and with a quick bark took off back out the cave opening, reappearing a few moments later with a mouthful of dry twigs. Hiccup didn't bother to ask where the dragon had found them, instead just taking the time to be grateful that there was dry firewood at all.

Before Hiccup could say a word, Toothless already had the pile of sticks on the floor before him at the very back of the cave, almost against the wall. With a quick plasma blast, the pile lit ablaze and cast shadows and heat upon the cave walls.

Hiccup slumped to the ground, pulling Astrid down with him. The two huddled close to the fire, Hiccup supporting Astrid as he leaned against the cave wall and listened to the heavenly silence, the only sound being his and Astrid's heavy breathing, and Toothless's light snuffles as he crooned worriedly. Hiccup coughed again, the movement tearing painfully at his throat and chest, as well as making his head pound even harder with every beat of his heart.

"O-okay…" Hiccup opened his eyes, rolling over to place Astrid against the wall. "Wh-what hurts?"

She grunted quietly, before gesturing slightly to her legs. Hiccup spread them out, biting his lip when he noticed the blood stain that covered the entire left side of her thigh. He gently tugged her leggings up until he could see the angry wound, wincing at the mere sight of it.

He lifted a hand and wiped the sweat off his forehead, although he was shivering madly which made absolutely _zero_ sense to him. He coughed once more before tugging at the bottom of his red shirt, tearing away a long strip to use as a bandage.

"T-toothless… c'mere, Bud."

Toothless ambled over, vibrating as he did so. Hiccup smiled and patted the dragon reassuringly, although the dragon looked unconvinced as Hiccup took a second to cough once more into his elbow.

Hiccup pulled the water skin off the saddle, pulling off the cap to dump the contents over Astrid's wound. She hissed, hand shooting out to grab Hiccup's arm in a death grip. Hiccup paused, looking to her face, noticing with a guilty gulp that her eyes were clenched shut from pain.

"I-I'm sor…sorry…" he stuttered weakly before continuing. He motioned for Toothless to step forward, and once he had washed most the blood away Toothless, with one big _slurp!_ of his tongue, lathered the wound in saliva, effectively clotting the wound but also keeping any infection away as well.

"Good… good dragon…" Hiccup pat Toothless's nose with a little smile, the dragon cooing in response before nudging his face into Hiccup's ribs.

Astrid huffed again, blinking her eyes open as she stared dazedly into Hiccup's face.

"Where are we?" She murmured, fingers going to rub her head. She blinked and peered through half lidded eyes into Hiccup's face, looking a bit confused. "You look horrible. Are you alright?"

He honestly didn't know. His head pounded, he felt overly hot- yet he was shaking like a leaf, and his chest and throat felt stuffed.

"Hm, I'm fine." He replied quietly, his stubbornness blatantly not allowing him to speak the truth.

Astrid shifted position slightly, face not betraying any pain as she shook her head, moving a hand to gently press it against his cheek. Her hand was so cool… he couldn't help but press his face closer, longing for more of that comforting chill to take away the heat that seemed to be roasting his body.

"Oh, Hiccup… you're burning up!" Astrid exclaimed, switching position so she could move closer to him. But on the way, she winced and gave a little groan of discomfort.

"C-careful, take it easy." Hiccup pushed her back down, ignoring his own dizziness. "I'm fine, you're injured-"

"You're sick."

"And I'll live. A little fever isn't going to kill me."

Astrid looked tiredly doubtful, but Hiccup ignored her unamused expression. He slouched down next to her, feeling too close to the fire yet not close enough all at the same time. He hated this- he felt like crap. Yet he knew Astrid was probably just as uncomfortable as he was, and they were in this together, so he sucked it up and tried to put on a calm face. He didn't want Astrid to worry.

"Where are we?" Astrid asked again, leaning against this shoulder as they both closed their eyes.

"I…I don't know." Hiccup replied with a heavy sigh. "I'm sure Toothless does though… or at least, once the storm lets up."

"Hiccup…" Astrid pulled away, and for a moment he wondered if he'd done or said something wrong. He opened his eyes to stare at her in confusion, but her expression was one of full concern. "You're like an oven." She whispered, pressing her hand against his forehead. He involuntarily closed his eyes and let out a contented sigh, the relief almost overwhelming as the coolness of her skin touched his own flaming forehead.

"You're sick, babe." She stated plainly- as though he hadn't already figured that out himself.

"Hm." He merely murmured, not bothering to open his eyes. "I think so…"

She shifted positions, before she whispered something quietly to Toothless. The dragon whirred softly before the sound of his standing and shuffling across the stone ground sounded. Hiccup dazed out after that, only coming back to the present when Toothless returned.

"Thanks, Toothless." Astrid's voice was soft, and more sound of cloth shifting and of movement. Something so cold it bordered on freezing was pressed against his forehead, and he couldn't help but let out a moan of extreme pleasure.

He peaked through an eyelid, spotting the heavy piece of ice that Astrid was pinning against his head. "Hm, that feels so good…"

"I know." Astrid leaned closer again, nose nuzzling into his chin as she sighed.

Hiccup breathed heavily, peering through his eyelids at the fire as he murmured tiredly. "So you're injured, I'm sick, and neither of us know where we are. _Fun._ "

Astrid's quiet laugh lightened the mood slightly, as she shook her head. "I'm sure Toothless will be able to find his way home, he's an amazing tracker."

Hiccup paused, before relaxing and smiling slightly. "Hm, right. Can ya do that, Toothless?"

The dragon barked in reply.

"I think that's a yes." Astrid yawned, head lolling against Hiccup's shoulder as her hand began to fall away from his forehead. Hiccup replaced her hand holding the ice, before slowly sliding down until they both were lying on the ground against Toothless's side.

"You know, there is a bright side to this." Astrid said quietly. "We get some quiet time away from the Edge."

Hiccup smiled at her words. "It only took a storm and a fifty-foot fall from the sky to achieve it, hm?"

"Don't forget a fever and leg wound."

Hiccup laughed before nuzzling his face into her hair, sighing contentedly as he mumbled a drowsy _I love you_ before dropping off to sleep.

 **A/N: So… um, guys. I feel so horrible. But I lost the document with all your requests, and even though I only had four or five, those were still requests I planned on doing. So if you guys have a request, please put it in the reviews. Also, please don't PM me and requests, that gets very confusing. So please review it. :) Thanks guys for reading, and since I'm feeling rather… down about myself lately… would you mind dropping a kind review for this one-shot? That would be lovely.**

 **Again, thanks for reading, love you all!**


	37. Technique

**Title: Technique**

 **Requested by: whosthatgal**

 **Summary: Astrid shows up at Hiccup's hut and catches him drawing pictures of her and Stormfly. When he invites her to sit down and draw with him, she takes the opportunity. Cute couple fluff.**

 **Genre: Romance, Friendship**

 **Rating: K+**

 **Time-line: RTTE Season 5 [no major spoilers]**

* * *

"What are you doing?" Astrid asked as she walked into the room, tossing her axe easily onto the table as she made her way over to Hiccup's desk.

He coughed and shuffled his different papers and parchments together, trying to hide his work. "Nothin' much… uh, designing Inferno and-"

Astrid rolled her eyes and snatched the papers from his hands, ignoring his yelps and protests. She quickly shuffled through them, pausing when she came across some finely detailed sketches of Toothless and Stormfly.

"Oh, these are beautiful, Hiccup…" She murmured, reaching a hand out to push him back into his seat when he tried to make a move to steal the papers back. She flipped another paper, gasping at the sight of Stormfly in flight, wings spread and mouth slightly parted. There was even some color to this one, watered down blue splatted along with some yellows. It was absolutely gorgeous.

"You did these?" She said in awe, looking up at the boy's face. Hiccup bit his lip and nodded hesitantly, reaching out again for the papers. "They're wonderful, babe."

"Heh, thanks." He replied quietly, tilting his head to one side. "Th-they're nothing… truly. Just… stuff I do when I'm- uh, thinking."

"Thinking?"

He laughed awkwardly before getting to his feet, hand rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment, "Er, yeah. You're… sorta on my mind a lot and I figured drawing- Stormfly- was… a good way to…" He gestured wildly, mouth opening yet no words came out as he tried to find the words.

She flipped another page, doing a double take at the sight of her own self, standing with her axe resting on her shoulder, a confident smile on her lips and eyebrows quirked. Astrid frowned playfully and looked up at the now-blushing Hiccup, the poor guy flustered beyond words.

"What's this?"

"Er… what's what?"

She dangled the picture in his face, smiling behind it in her attempts to not laugh, "This, you dork. You draw me too?"

He laughed again, blush spreading to the tips of his ears as he grabbed the paper, gathering the rest from her arms and scuttling over to a chest in which he deposited them. "A-ah… not… erm… normally no- not that- gods I'm making this way harder…" He facepalmed and fell silent, before peeping out between his fingers. "Yes, Astrid, I draw you." he shifted awkwardly, _"a lot…"_ He added in a mumble

She laughed and stepped forward, giving him a side hug and ruffling his already messy hair. "I think it's sweet." She reassured him, hoping to ease his embarrassment. He smiled and tilted his head- almost dragon-like- before pecking his lips against hers.

"You… um, you want to draw with me?" He invited, gesturing towards his desk of scattered papers.

She laughed and shook her head, crossing her arms firmly. "You know very well I can't draw."

Hiccup snorted and grabbed her hand, pulling her to his desk before giving her a little push onto the stool. She grunted, but couldn't help the grin that spread across her lips.

"Here." he tossed her a pencil, turning to pull up another chair from the table. He sat down across beside her, shifting the papers about until he found some blanks.

"I can't even do a circle." She laughed quietly, demonstrating what she meant. Hiccup chuckled lowly, his arms circling her from behind as he rested his hand over hers, directing the pencil slowly over the parchment.

"Here- to do a circle, hold the pencil straight down… yeah, like that. Now touching you hand to the paper and use that as the center of your circle. Now turn the paper… like so…" He slowly spun the paper around, until a complete and perfect circle remained. She blinked in awe, having never known there to be such a trick for drawing.

"Wow…" She murmured, trying the same technique on a slightly smaller oval. "That's so cool…" She repeated the movement, until her entire page was covered in millions of multi-sized circles.

Hiccup laughed and picked up his own pencil again, sliding back into his chair. He quickly drew a circle, then began filling it in around the edges on one side, his pressure getting lighter until you could hardly see the pencil marks at all. "That's line shading, no blending or anything, just letting your pencil lift higher and higher off the page so it blends out on it's own, leaving a sketchy look."

Astrid watched him closely, nodding once she thought she had a good hang of the concept. She turned and did the same thing to one of her own circles, and while it wasn't nearly as good or clean slated as Hiccup's, it was definitely an improvement from her own shading skills.

"Where did you learn all of this?" She asked in bewilderment and awe. She'd never seen such ways of art… although she wasn't exactly one that got into that type of stuff. She'd always supposed you needed raw _raw_ talent in order to complete anything. That didn't seem to be the case- or with a circle at least.

"I picked it up- mostly on my own. You try new things the more you do it." Hiccup twerked an eyebrow, giving her a half smile. "You want to learn how to draw Stormfly?"

She nodded eagerly, allowing him to take up his position again from behind, his warm arms trapping her in a hug as his chin rested on top of her head. She laughed quietly, jabbing his rib with her elbow in teasing.

He grunted, but she could feel his jaw move in a smile on atop her head. His hands moved hers, and before long he was showing her the general shapes of her lovely blue dragon. A large circle for the head, another two circles for the body and legs. Join the head to the body, create the talents using sharp strokes…

She payed as deep attention as possible, yet it was difficult with Hiccup's chest pressed against her back. She was constantly flipping her eyes back away from his hand to the drawing before her, concentration wavering.

The drawing was sketchy, but somehow perfect. She had no doubt her's would look nowhere near as… accurate, but she was determined to give it a try. So once Hiccup stepped away for the second time, she plucked up a new piece of paper and got to work.

"Too big-" Hiccup interupted when she began to lightly sketch Stormfly's head. "Just a bit… smaller… there, that should work."

She nodded and bit her lip, continuing the sketches outline while taking a few glances towards Hiccup's for reference.

She let her hand slip down the legs, trying to get the muscle tones right but failing utterly. After five minutes of continued frustration, she tossed her pencil at the wall and glared at the paper, picking it up and crumpling it into her fist.

"Astrid-!" Hiccup exclaimed, eyes following the paper ball as it flew across the room. "What was that? It was looking great-!"

"Don't lie." She herumphed. "The legs were too thin and weren't placed right." She leaned back in her chair, arms crossed as she tried to figure out a solution for this dilemma. "Drawing's hard." She muttered darrkly.

"It takes practice…" Hiccup reminded her gently, twisting in his chair to face her. His green eyes were bright with amusement, and his lips twitched, hinting a hidden smile. She sighed and looked down, her own smile creeping back.

"How about we do something else?"

She looked back at him, "No, Hiccup, I think I've had enough with that pencil for today."

"Nah… come on." he poked a finger at her side, teasingly. "We'll find something easier to you. How about an axe?"

She huffed, "Very funny."

"Blood?"

"Not helping, Hiccup." She snorted on her laughter, not being able to contain her mirth. "How about you draw the dragon, and I'll try and color it."

He nodded with a bright smile, hurriedly finishing his sketch of Stormfly. He handed it to her and jumped to his feet, rushing over to a cabinet where he grabbed the necessary paints and brushes.

"There aren't very many colors." He apologized, setting the supplies in front of her. "And I don't have much, so I usually water them down."

Astrid nodded, only half listening. She already had a brush in her hand, and some paint smearing the bristles. She dunked it in some water wiping it across an empty page before returning to her own.

The colors were vibrant, filling Astrid with wonderment and desire to add more pigments to the page. So she did, using more blues and oranges until she deemed the picture Stormfly, although she wasn't quite finished. The colors mesmerized her, and before long, nearly the whole page was covered in different tones and shades in no particular order.

"How's that working for you?" Hiccup asked, leaning his chair back against the pillar.

"Now _this_ … this _is_ fun."

Silence fell as she sat back, waiting for her messy and colorful creation to dry. It wasn't an awkward silence by any means, it was even comfortable, just… not Astrid's first choice of how to spend the little free time they had together. So when Hiccup made no move or sound, she twisted around and plopped onto his lap, leaning her back against his chest.

The surprised teen yelped and gave a small jump, nearly tipping the chair over. But once Astrid was settled against his chest, Hiccup slowly wrapped his arms around her, letting his chin rest on her shoulder.

"Should we make this a daily thing?" His breath tickled her ear, sending chills running up and down her spine.

"Maybe…" She teased, turning to place a kiss on his jaw. "If the gang will let us. After the… "incident" A few weeks back, I doubt they'll let us leave them for long."

Hiccup groaned in annoyance, nuzzling his nose against her hair. "Sometimes they act just like children…" He huffed, but his voice held humor, telling her he didn't really mean it. "I can't even eat without one of the twins nearly killing themselves."

Astrid snorted. "I figure this is good practice… you know, for-" she paused and swallowed hard in embarrassment, not realizing her thoughts had wandered… a bit further then they should. She mumbled an apology, hoping Hiccup hadn't heard or caught on to what she meant.

He must've, for his grip tightened around her and he let out a small sigh. "When, Astrid?"

She blinked in puzzlement, not quite certain what he meant. "… _when…?_ When what?"

"When can… can… it all be real. When I don't have to hold back."

She realized what he meant, and a small blush spread across her cheeks. She lifted a hand to his face, pulling it against the side of hers. "Soon. We'll talk to your Dad… and maybe… in a year or so we can be wed."

"Too long…" He groaned, burying his face into her hair. "But I guess it'll be worth the wait."

"You guess?" She asked indignantly.

"I know." He corrected with a smile. "But still, such a long time till I can call you mine."

She shook her head, turning so she could give him another small kiss, whispering into it, "I am yours…"

* * *

 _Just some pointless fluff, and in case any of you are wondering… I was NOT suggesting anything… inappropriate. It might've come off that way, but I was meaning more like "I am yours" in the sense that… like, her heart belonged to him. Not the "do"… because they aren't married and I believe that stuff shouldn't happen till after the marriage. ;) (But I respect all your opinions, this is just my sight on it)_

 _This was probably_ _OCC… but BLEGH I JUST WANTED SOME CORNY HICCSTRID FLUFF. xD_


	38. Stronger

**Title: Stronger**

 **Requested by: cyberkryo5**

 **Summary: What-if on "No Dragon Left Behind". What if there wasn't enough antidote for both Astrid and Stormfly, and there has to be a choice? Hiccstrid**

 **Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, Romance**

 **Rating: K+**

 **Time-line: RTTE season 5**

* * *

"This is bad." Fishlegs whispered, holding the wooden bowl close as he peered in at the meager contents it contained. He glanced up at the twins, lip between his teeth. "Guys, I just-"

"What? What is it, Fishy, SPEAK UP." Ruffnut demanded shrilly, eyes wide and hands rung together. "Astrid is dying, and you can't even talk!"

Tuffnut was sniffling loudly, a few stray tears gathering in his wide eyes. "Fishlegs, if there's a problem, don't tell me! Don't you know Hiccup's gonna kill us if she dies?"

Ruffnut punched her brother hard in the shoulder, sending him splaying to the ground. "YOU IDIOT!" she screamed, pouncing.

Fishlegs squealed and rushed back to Astrid's side, still stirring the concoction worriedly. "Guys, please. There's not enough antidote- I don't know…"

"We need Hiccup." Ruffnut stated firmly, jumping to her feet and rushing to her part of their dragon. "Come on, Tuff, we have a mission."

Tuffnut grumbled as he shuffled to Belch's head and climbed aboard. "Does that mean we can leave Snot?"

Fishlegs didn't hear their answer, thank Thor there was at least one sane twin- or at least, sane when the time called for it. With Ruffnut hollering at her brother to become a bit more sensitive, the two took off into the sky.

Stormfly croaked sadly, curling even more into herself as she snuffled a sigh. Her eyes were trained on her unconscious rider who lay only a few feet away, resting on a stone covered in a blanket.

Astrid whimpered in her sleep, brows scrunching together and head lolling. She pursed her lips as she whined again, the sound putting Fishlegs on edge.

"Thor, oh Thor… I hope those two hurry." He whispered, bending over the girl. He rested a hand on her forehead, sighing heavily at the feeling of her sweltering skin.

"Fever… nngh…" He leaned back against his heals, eyes trained on the sky. "Come on, hurry guys…"

* * *

The twins arrived just in time.

With the Slitherwing's coming in at rapid speeds, mouths open and poised to strike, Hiccup was certain he was a dead man. Snotlout was screaming, Toothless shooting a plasma blast a second, things were looking bad…

But for once, the twins proved effective without directions or orders. Why they were there, or where they'd come from Hiccup didn't know, and he didn't care. He was just happy to have survived that one with minimal injuries.

He swung aboard Toothless, as Snotlout did the same to Hookfang. They took off, the twins spinning about to follow.

Hiccup slowed once they exited the cave, grinning back at the twins gratefully. "Thanks guys! We really owe you-"

"No, Hiccup, you have to hurry!" Ruffnut shouted, the two flying up alongside. "Astrid's been poisoned, Fishlegs needs your help-"

First three words, and Hiccup was gone. His heart was pounding fiercely and his head was spinning. He couldn't breathe.

 _Not Astrid, please Thor, not Astrid…_

He hardly knew what he was doing. Toothless was crooning in concern, not understanding what the rush was for. But Hiccup kept whispering over and over again for him to hurry, to go as fast as he can.

"Please, please, please…" He gasped under his breath.

He spotted them in the clearing, Stormfly still lying in the same place and two small figures huddled in one corner, clearly Fishlegs and Astrid. Hiccup twisted Toothless in a dive, both shooting down towards the ground below.

"Hiccup!" Fishlegs called, scrambling to his feet once Toothless bounced into a landing, but already Hiccup was out of the saddle and dashing to Astrid's side, where he instantly dropped to pull her close.

"Fishlegs what happened?" He whispered, cradling her in his arms, hushing soothingly when she let out a pained gasp.

"She went to get the poison for Stormfly… and just ran up to it and _punched_ the thing…" Fishlegs said rapidly, hands waving frantically in the air.

Hiccup jerked his head up, turning to stare almost angrily at him. "You let her-!?"

"We didn't! She's Astrid!" Fishlegs cried, hands pressing to his face. "She just ran off!"

Hiccup turned back to the girl in his arms, lifting a hand to brush the bangs out of her face. He pressed a quick kiss to her forehead, whispering words of comfort.

"Tell everyone to go out and get the antidote." Hiccup's voice rasped. "I'm not just going to sit here and watch her die."

"Hiccup- I have… _some_." Fishlegs held up the bowl, showing the shocked Hiccup the little bit of liquid inside. "I just- there's not enough for Stormfly and Astrid-"

"You had some this whole time!?" Hiccup shouted, removing his hand from Astrid's to wave it about angrily. "Fishlegs!"

"But-"

"Fishlegs, Astrid. is. _dying._ " Hiccup said lowly, eyebrows dipped and mouth pressed into a thin line.

With a nod, Fishlegs stepped forward and put the bowl to Astrid's lips, pinching her nose and tipping her head back so she was forced to swallow. Astrid choked and gagged, the sounds and sight jerking Hiccup's heart strings. He couldn't stand to see his strong Astrid hurting. Why couldn't it have been him?

"Shhh, Ast, sh, come on-" He whispered repeatedly, running his hands through her loosened braid. "Come on, babe…" This was a low whisper to her ear, and somehow the word just… slipped out without him realizing. If Fishlegs eyebrows raised, Hiccup's face was turned around and he didn't notice. It wouldn't be till hours later that he'd realize what he'd said.

"Okay, I hope that was enough." Fishlegs murmured, pulling away and instead walking to a sleepy looking Stormfly. "Hush, girl, we'll try and get some for you…"

The dragon squawked sadly.

Hiccup moved against Toothjless when the dragon curled up around him, sensing his rider's distraught panic. Once more comfortable he pulled Astrid close to his chest, eyes closing as he listened to her breathing slowly grow steadier.

The others flew in then, and Hiccup blinked his eyes open to direct them. Stormfly still needed the antidote, and he wasn't about to just give up and let the poor dragon go.

"Snotlout, Tuff, Ruff-" He paused, noticing Garff's happy screech at the sight of his dragon friend. Stormfly's head lifted, eyes dilated and her mouth opened to reply in turn.

"Well, she's looking better!" Fishlegs called with a grin. "I'm starting to think-"

Stormfly leaped to her feet, running over to Garff and rubbing her head against his, the two crooning happily.

"Fishlegs..?" Hiccup asked, glancing at him in question.

"I think she just missed her friend." Hiccup nodded and smiled, relief filling him as things began to take a turn for the better. He allowed himself to breathe easily, as though he felt now he deserved that privilege.

Astrid hummed against him, her face now smooth with comfort and her lips slightly parted in relaxation.

He smiled at the sight of her peaceful face, sighing as he let his lips ghost a kiss against her jaw. She hummed again, lips hinting a slight smile as she leaned closer.

"Hey, Ast." Hiccup whispered, giving her a small shake. "Astrid?"

Her eyelids fluttered, then opened as she gazed up at him dazedly. She blinked, then smiled. "Hey."

He shuddered a laugh, hugging her fiercely, relishing in the fact that she hugged him in return. "Milady, don't scare me like that…"

"I'm sorry…" She mumbled. "Stormfly just-" She jerked away, eyes wide and frantic. "Hiccup! Stormfly she-"

"Hush, it's alright…" Hiccup soothed quickly, eyes flicking up at the dragon now running about joyfully with the other dragons, all looking perky and healthy. "She's alright, turned out she wasn't poisoned at all. She just missed Garff."

Astrid fell back against him in relief, laughing as she called for her dragon. Stormfly spun about and rushed towards her, chirping gleefully.

"Hey, girl…" Astrid said, running her hands down the dragon's neck, giving her a quick hug. "I'm so glad you're okay…"

Stormfly squawked again, giving herself a small shake in reassurance.

"Happy ending for all!" Tuffnut cheered, wiping his eyes. "It always makes me tear-" With that word he burst into wails, Ruffnut patting his back in quiet reassurance.

Hiccup kissed Astrid's neck, before getting to his feet, pulling her up with him. "Okay, we're out of here. I'm not having you get hurt again, and I want to get you back to the Edge to make sure you get some rest…"

"I'm fine, Hiccup." Astrid pushed away from him, now standing on her own. She placed her hands on her hips, wavering slightly as she blinked owlishly. "See? No sweat…" With that she began to tip, Hiccup easily catching her in his arms.

"You just punched a Slitherwing." Hiccup scolded, trying to look stern. But with a smiling sigh, he kissed her forehead, "Mm, I love you, but you tend to be crazier then me at times."

"Only when craziness is demanded." She mumbled back in reply, hand reaching out to rub Stormfly's nose. She tried to stand again, but swayed against Hiccup's chest.

"Yep, let's go." He picked her up into his arms, swinging her up onto Stormfly's back. "But I will let you fly on your own, if…" He tugged a rope out of his saddlebags, practically tying her to the saddle. "There!"

She looked unamused, but didn't protest. "Hiccup I-"

"Hush, and let's get you home." He smiled and leaned up, giving a quick kiss to her hand. All he wanted to do was press kisses all over her, to hold her close and never let her go. Never let his lady get hurt again. But he pulled away, turning back to Garff sadly.

"But first… we have a goodbye to make…"


	39. Proud

**Title: Proud**

 **Requested by: Guest**

 **Summary: Snotlout and Hiccup crash onto a foreign island, and it's up to Snotlout to help an injured Hiccup.**

 **Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Friendship**

 **Rating: T**

 **Time-Line: Post RTTE**

 **A/N: Hello there! Long time no see! Sorry for such a long gap between this story and the last... I've been writing stuff too short to add to this story, so I've been posting them separately or to my drabble collection hehe. :D But here's some cousinly bromance for your enjoyment, hope you like! Reviews are always welcome! (And also, this story is over a year old whaaaaaaaaat?) (And RTTE season 6 in one week I'M FREAKING OUT)**

* * *

Snotlout groaned as he rolled over, staring dazedly up at the drizzling sky in baffled confusion. The grass was wet and itchy around him as trees swayed above to the stormy winds, the rain pelting his face like grains of sand.

He pushed himself to a sitting position and looked about at his surroundings, his mind doing a double take when he saw Hookfang sprawled on the ground a few feet away, huffing as though with exertion.

He scrambled to his feet and rushed over, running around to kneel by the dragon's head. "Hooky? Talk to me buddy."

He was covered in mud and rain water, but he was breathing and looked uninjured for the most part. A little roughed up but nothing he couldn't take. Snotlout silently breathed a sigh of relief as he ran a hand down the unconcious dragon's nose.

"Hookfang, wake up, pal." Snotlout repeated urgently. He gave his head a little shake, and gradually his eyes fluttered open. He purred in confusion.

"Yeah, that wind can pack a punch." Snotlout patted his neck fondly, letting him know he could take his time and regaining his bearings. He could use a bit of time, too.

The dragon had different ideas, however, for lifted his head and glanced around witha bark of alarm. Snotlout's fuzzy mind couldn't comprehend what he was trying to tell him, until he shuffled to his feet and took off into the trees.

"Hookfang!" He jumped to his feet, wincing when his right foot gave a tingle of protest. He must've landed on it funny in the fall. He tried to keep up, and finally fell into step beside his dragon. Hookfang was moving slowly, still looking groggy.

"What is it? Where are you going?" Snotlout repeated. Hookfang didn't listen and merely continued on, leaving Snotlout no choice but to follow.

They finally broke through the brush, where Snotlout received a prompt memory slap. Of course. Hiccup had been with him. The lightning had caught Toothless's saddle, they'd crashed into Hookfang and Snotlout... falling...

"Hiccup." Snotlout hissed. He was more worried then he let show, although it wasn't much use, since Hookfang could sense his concern. He hummed in equal worry as he moved on, and it was then that Snotlout noticed he favored one of his back legs. At least he hadn't wounded a wing.

"You know where they are?"

Apparently he did, for the dragon didn't pause for an instant. They crashed through more of the thick trees, and that's when Snotlout saw it. A giant tree, bent at an awkward angle. He winced involuntarily at the sight. _That must've hurt…_

His eyes followed the tree to the ground, where a deep gorge was paved through the dirt and bushes. He continued to follow it, until he saw something black and billowy buried in the ground before a tree.

"Toothless." Snotlout answered his own question. Not even waiting for Hookfang to lead the way, he took off and leaped into the gorge. Toothless appeared to be curled up, his wings folded about himself and his head tucked against his belly. It was hard to analysis anything from such an angle.

Snotlout stopped himself by falling to his knees beside Toothless' head. The dragon crooned, giving Snotlout the relief that at least he was alive.

Hiccup must be save inside his wings. He let some of his bottled panic ease away.

He reached a hand out and gave Toothless' head a little shake. "Toothless, I'm here. Uh, is Hiccup in… there?" He gestured towards his wings.

The dragon lifted his head, but only slightly, obviously stiff and sore as he opened his cloudy green eyes. He crooned again and shifted position, quaking against the wind. His wings slowly unfurled, but just enough to let Snotlout see a limp shape inside.

"Hey, you can- let go of him now." Snotlout tried to pry Toothless' wings apart, but the dragon was having none of that. Instead, he let out a soft cry, and in an instant Hookfang was there to assist. Snotlout was abruptly enveloped in darkness and warmth, the wind and rain gone. He realized that Hookfang had tucked his wings about both Toothless and the two humans, the two dragons extending their wings to form a shelter of sorts.

"I can't see a thing." Snotlout whispered.

There was a little hum, then two soft lights broke the darkness, one purple and the other yellow. Snotlout shivered and rubbed his bare arms as he moved closer, Toothless' wings unfolding to reveal the still unconscious Hiccup inside.

"Hey, Hiccup, wake up." Snotlout turned and eyed Hiccup, bemused. He… wasn't moving.

Snotlout couldn't even tell if he was _breathing_.

That panic caught hold of him again, and without a second thought he crawled closer. He rolled Hiccup over so he could see his face, his movements freezing when he saw the blood.

Blood. Covering his entire torso, his stomach. He armor was destroyed, his shirt jagged and soaked and sticky and-

His vision peeled away and ducked and weaved for a good solid minute, until it eventually wavered back and left him staring in absolute shock at his cousin. He released his hold on his shoulders, not knowing what to do.

"Hiccup?" Snotlout hissed. He was full out panicking now. He didn't care how worried he sounded, how high-pitched his voice had just become- he just needed to make sure that Hiccup was alive.

Oh, if he wasn't… he'd have so many people on his back. Astrid would kill him, then Toothless, then Stoick- dang it, he couldn't let the heir of Berk just… _die._

Besides… who would be there to tell him to behave? To keep him in line, to tell him when it was his time to do watch duty. Hiccup was the only cousin he had.

"Hiccup, answer me." Snotlout demanded, almost angrily as he moved and grabbed Hiccup's shoulder's, giving him another shake. The relief overcame the guilt when Hiccup's mouth opened to release a sharp gasp. Thank Odin, he was alive.

The relief was short-lived however, for his attention was once again directed towards his chest. Where was all the blood even coming from? Maybe… maybe the chest was like the head, it bled a lot for no apparent reason.

Somehow, he seriously doubted it.

"Oh Thor, Oh Thor, Hiccup, you're an _idiot._ " Snotlout whispered fiercely. He was panicking, he wouldn't even deny it at that moment. If Hiccup woke up and asked "Are you worried?" He would've screamed the honest answer, because Thor dang it _he was_.

"I-I don't know what to do." Snotlout whined as he dragged his hands down his face, breathing slightly labored as he glanced about the tight confines. Toothless' gaze met his, wide and worried.

"Do we have… any bandages?" Snotlout eventually asked. That much he knew he would need. And maybe some water to get rid of the blood.

Toothless moved his tail, directing Snotlout attention to his back end. There was a satchel flung over the saddle, and without a second thought he lunged to retrieve it. He dug through its contents, relieved that Hiccup was more prepared than he was, having stashed away a roll of bandages and a canteen of water.

But it was limited, making him worry. The bandages were in no way enough to even take care of a fourth of the problem. Oh well, he'd have to make do.

He scooted closer to his cousin, and after a few silent moments of gathering his bearings, he took a deep breath and reached to unbuckle his armor. Hiccup still hadn't moved, only making soft noises when Snotlout touched him.

"Sorry." He muttered in frustration. He wasn't really, because it was Hiccup's own fault for making everything so difficult. He couldn't make one thing simple, could he? Not even his armor.

Finally, after much struggling, he was able to slide the armor off in two parts easily with the front of it sliced down the middle. He set them aside and stared at the tunic, overwhelmed by the sight.

It didn't even look green anymore, it look an odd shape of purple, mixed with the blood that covered not only his torso, but his arms as well. Reaching into his own little bag strapped to his waist, he tugged out a knife and began slicing away the fabric. It was hopeless to even try and carefully- with minimal pain- to slide it over Hiccup's head. Besides, they could use the back of the shirt for bandages.

He hastily sliced away until he peeled most of the fabric from Hiccup's body, wincing every time Hiccup moaned or tried to roll away. At one point, when the fabric was so sucked into whatever wound was beneath, Hiccup had let out a loud cry that had chilled Snotlout to the very bone and sent Toothless into a barking fit.

Finally, the painstaking task was complete, leaving Snotlout to stare at the large, jagged gash running from just above Hiccup's left hip all the way up to his right shoulder. It was terrible, oozing a dark almost purple liquid, making his stomach churn.

"Thor." He breathed. He stayed like that, until it dawned on him that Hiccup had lost- and was still losing- a profound amount of blood. Instantly he picked up the cleanest part of Hiccup's shirt and the canteen. After rolling Hiccup until his back, he began dribbling the canteen over his chest and running the cloth over top, gently and gradually rubbing the blood away.

Hiccup didn't move much during the procedure, that is, not until Snotlout reached the wound. He bit his lip, and with a silent apology, knew what he had to do. He picked up a length of bandage and wad it into a ball around his hand, lifted the canteen and carefully let the water flow over the surface of the wound.

Hiccup didn't scream- which Snotlout had anticipated, but rather, to his horrified surprise, Hiccup's eyes jerked open and his mouth opened in a silent cry, his back arching and hands falling to dig into the dirt. Snotlout squeaked in surprise and jerked away, surprised and hoping that he'd just fall back into unconsciousness where he wouldn't feel the pain.

Toothless's head flew forward as he nudge and crooned against Hiccup's hair, trying to reassure him as the boy writhed and choked on his own cries. Snotlout wished there was something he could do or say to make this any better, but there really wasn't. For the first time in his life he wished he had some of Hiccup's snarky wit and humor to lighten the situation. Had it been he who was wounded, and Hiccup taking care of him, he probably would've said something like "Took a branch to the gut did you? I never knew you hated trees so much, Snotlout."

Instead, he just sat there, fearfully clenching the bandage in his hands.

"Toooooth…" Hiccup whined, his voice coming louder than Snotlout expected. Thank Thor his eyes were closed again, he couldn't face that wide eyed gaze. "T'thless…"

Toothless hummed and gave Hiccup's cheek a sloppy lick. Hiccup had settled somewhat, but his breathing was just as labored, his chest rising and falling uncertainly.

"Sorry." Snotlout finally murmured. He moved closer, too frightened to think about what he was saying. Words were just… slipping out.

"Snolou..?" Hiccup slurred.

"Yeah, trying to take care of your death wish butt and you're making it _awfully_ difficult." Snotlout muttered and leaned closer, biting his lip as he hurried to continue treatment. The wound was still bleeding, he needed to hurry before Hiccup lost so much blood he…

Snotlout didn't allow himself to finish that thought.

Hiccup shuddered when the cloth made contact again, but didn't protest. Snotlout noticed how his fists clenched and his jaw set, his entire body tense, but thankfully he didn't scream or writhe again, much to his relief. He couldn't stand to see Hiccup so… broken. It was unnerving.

By the time Snotlout finished cleaning the bottom half of the wound, the top half had begun bleeding again. It was a repetitive process, until Snotlout gave up on trying to get it to stop bleeding all together, deciding to just wrap the bandages around it before it could get worse.

He unraveled the bundle and paused, eyeing Hiccup in consideration. How would he get the bandages about, without hurting him too much, or…

Snotlout sighed and moved closer. "I hate to tell you this, Hiccup, but… I'm gonna need you to sit up."

Hiccup opened his eyes to stare groggily up at him. He blinked and groaned. "Can't." He mumbled.

"You're going to have to." Snotlout wrapped an arm carefully around his shoulders, beginning to slowly help him sit up. Hiccup was tense, his breathing becoming harsh and uneven the more he moved.

"Toothless, hold him up." Snotlout ordered. The dragon didn't need to be told twice as he moved and held his head against Hiccup's back. But his new position allowed a small billow of cold air to gust inside the soft confines, making Snotlout shiver and Hiccup gasp.

"I'll make this quick." Snotlout promised as he grabbed the bandages again and began wrapping, around and around. First over the shoulder, then under, making sure to cover every bit of the wound. Somewhere in the back of his mind he remembered someone saying _"Don't let a wound get infected, keep it clean and covered, and when exposed to air, make sure the premise is clean"_

The current premise obviously wasn't clean, and with the onslaught of blood, Snotlout knew he needed to cover it one way or the other. The bandages were able to make four layers around Hiccup's torso, covering him from chest to waist. But the blood was already soaking through, forcing Snotlout to slice the shirt into slices and wrap those around, too. Thankfully, that was made of wool, and thick, so only one layer of shirt equaled the same as three layers of bandages.

"We need to get you home." Snotlout informed tightly. Hiccup didn't reply, either too weak, or because he was unconscious again. That might be best, but at the same time it worried him because it made it harder to regulate his condition.

"Hiccup..?" Snotlout repeated.

"Toothless's gear is broken." Hiccup whispered under his breath. He didn't bother to open his eyes as he raised a hand to rest it over his wound. "Gotta wait out… the st-storm."

"I don't know if you can last-"

"I will." Hiccup didn't sound convincing in the least, but they didn't have much of a choice. Snotlout knew it was out of the question to leave Toothless on the island, Hiccup would die before letting that happen.

Snotlout tried not to think that… that might just happen.

"Well, I guess we need a fire. And a place to stay." Snotlout mused. He wasn't experienced in the acts of survival at all. Hiccup was the wiz in that department.

But again, they didnt' have any other choice.

"Toothless can find a cave." Hiccup mumbled. He began to move away, but didn't make it two inches before hissing and slumping back. Toothless' body vibrated in worry.

"No, Toothless isn't leaving you." Snotlout said certainly. He turned to face Hookfang, whose eyes were half lidded as he dozed. "Hooky."

He moved away and let Toothless wings fall around the two boys, keeping them sheltered against the storm. Hiccup breathed heavily as he fell against Toothless side, letting the dragon wrap his paws about him for warmth.

Snotlout rested his back against Toothless' stomach, exhausted and drained of energy. He'd never been so stressed out in his entire life.

"Thanks, Snot." Hiccup's voice was quiet and weak, those two words probably the only words he could manage, for the only thing that followed was the sound of his uneven breathing. Snotlout nodded silently, moving to sit in loyal vigil by his cousin's side.

"Just don't forget you said that." Snotlout teased.


End file.
